All Too Well (Gilmore Girls)
by G-Girl2017
Summary: After Rory discovered that Logan had slept with his sister's friends during their break-up, he tried everything to get her back but it was to no avail, she wanted nothing more to do with him. Shortly after their final break-up Rory was on the receiving end of some life-changing news. Set 3 years after S6 E16 'Bridesmaids Revisited' (disregard anything after that episode!)
1. The Story of Us

"Ava Victoria, you need to get come and get your shoes on right now," Rory shouted through the apartment to her daughter.

"Can I wear the pink ones?" The little girl padded into the room slowly and looked up at her mommy, pleading with her big blue eyes.

"Honey," she said as she stooped down to match her daughter's height "the blue ones look so much better with that pretty dress you are wearing, don't you think?"

"But I like pink mommy," Ava said as she poked out her bottom lip.

Rory shrugged, she knew from bitter experience exactly when she should pick her battles and when she should let things slide, especially with a strong-willed three-year-old like Ava. "Sure, if you love pink that much, you can wear the pink ones. Now go get yourself ready."

Ava beamed at her mommy and skipped down the hallway of their apartment to get her favorite pink shoes out of her closet, happy to be getting her own way.

Rory bent down to collect up all the abandoned toys from her living room floor just as there was a knock at the door. She turned to glance over at the clock. Right on time, she thought to herself, never early, never late, he was always extremely punctual. She walked down the hallway and opened the door to greet him.

"Hi, Hi, come in," she said as she ushered Logan into the apartment "She's just in her room getting her shoes on."

"Great, there's no real rush, we've got some time before we have to head out," he said as he sat down on the sofa.

"So, what are your big plans for this weekend?" Rory asked as she continued to tidy up the room.

"The usual dinner tonight at my parent's house and then...well, I'm not entirely sure yet, the weekend is wide open. What about you? Got a busy schedule this weekend?" Logan asked.

"Oh you know me and my action-packed lifestyle" she rolled her eyes. "No, nothing major really. Steph is coming over tomorrow and we're going out for lunch..." she started to say before they were interrupted by the sound of a little ball of energy hurtling towards them down the hallway.

"Daddy!" Ava squealed when she heard her father's voice. She bounded into the living room and jumped straight onto his lap.

"Hey Princess" Logan said happily as he kissed the little girl who had bundled herself up on him. "Are you all ready to go?" he asked her.

Ava climbed off his lap and stood proudly "I am, Daddy. I got my shoes on myself."

"I've got to say, sweetie, I am really loving the pink shoes, good choice" he smiled as he gave Rory a knowing look – fully aware that there was no way on earth she would have paired the fuchsia pink ballet pumps with the pale blue dress that his daughter was wearing.

"Oh no," Ava said dramatically "I forgot Mr Woof" as she remembered her favorite bedtime companion.

"Well, you had better go get him then!" Logan laughed as she ran off again. He watched his daughter as she left the room.

Sometimes he found it hard to believe that she actually belonged to him – she was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid his eyes on, that was, apart from her mother of course. With her breathtaking blue eyes and her dark hair falling in soft waves to her shoulders, Ava looked just like a mini-Rory, everyone commented on it and Logan had to admit it was true, even though sometimes it pained him to see the comparison and reminded him of what he had lost. The personality of the little girl, however, was all Logan. She was a complete whirlwind and seemed to have inherited her father's 'seize the day' attitude, which Rory had never considered to be entirely a bad thing.

Logan stood up to pick up the overnight bag that Rory had prepared as usual. "I have to fly out on Sunday night to Atlanta so I'll need to drop Ava back a little earlier than usual, around 3 pm. Is that okay with you?"

"Sure" Rory nodded and smiled "I'll be here," she said as Ava reappeared with Mr Woof tucked firmly under her arm.

She watched as her daughter grabbed hold of Logan's hand and they all moved towards the door of the apartment. There was absolutely no coming between Ava and her daddy, they'd had a very special bond from the beginning and while it was sometimes a little bittersweet to witness, it did please Rory to see them enjoying a close relationship. For such a long time she had worried that Logan might turn out to be like her own father Christopher – loving but flaky and unreliable, however, three years in, her worries had remained completely unfounded and Logan had remained devoted to their daughter.

"Say bye bye to mommy," Logan said.

Ava leaned up to kiss and hug Rory. "Bye baby girl, now you be really good for daddy and make sure that you remember all your manners at grandma and grandpa's house won't you?" she said and Ava nodded.

Rory knew that the Huntzbergers had always taken issue with the fact that she wasn't brought up in society and now, neither was their granddaughter much to their chagrin which Rory had to admit to finding a little amusing at times. She was however determined that she would demonstrate that she was perfectly able to raise a polite, bright and well-adjusted child, whatever they might think of them.

"Bye Rory" Logan said as he leaned in and dropped a chaste kiss on her cheek like he always did when saying goodbye.

"See you Sunday" she waved before closing the apartment door.

Rory went to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of wine before sitting down on her sofa to enjoy the peace and quiet.

* * *

The arrival of Ava Victoria Gilmore had been somewhat of a surprise in the lives of Rory and Logan, especially given that they had broken up a couple of months before she had even discovered she was pregnant.

They had gone through a rather acrimonious split at his sister Honor's wedding and despite his begging, after she had found out that he had slept with his sister's friends during their brief break-up, she had refused to take him back. Although she truly loved Logan, the hurt and humiliation she felt ran deep and it just proved too much for her to get over.

While it had become pretty apparent that there were some crossed wires at play, Rory felt completely betrayed by Logan. She had never intended for them to break up in the first place and she had been incredibly hurt when Honor had called her at Thanksgiving and she'd discovered he had told his sister that they were no longer together. It had taken a big leap of faith for Rory to accept him back into her life after that so for her to then stand in a room of Honor's friends and hear them all discussing in front of her, how they had slept or 'fooled' around with him was just one humiliating step too far. She loved him but she had to protect herself from getting repeatedly hurt. Rory had moved out of their shared apartment and back in with Paris for a little while but then it became quickly apparent that as much as she wanted to try and leave Logan in her past, fate had stepped in and just wasn't going to let her do that, no matter how hard she tried.

 _Flashback – April 2006_

 _"Rory, are you sure you are feeling okay? You're very pale." Lorelai asked her daughter as she sat opposite her in Luke's._

 _"I'm fine, I've just been feeling a little off-color recently that's all" Rory shrugged._

 _"Off-color?" Lorelai asked her suspiciously. "You don't think you might be..." she trailed off, aware that the diner was not the most private of places to be having this conversation._

 _Rory looked at her and wrinkled her nose._

 _Lorelai gasped. "Oh my god, really?" While she might have brought it up, she hadn't actually believed it might be a possibility._

 _"I don't know" Rory admitted. She had suspected now for a few weeks that she could be pregnant since she had missed her last period but she had been too scared to face facts and actually take a test._

 _"Dare I ask...who?" Lorelai said._

 _Rory looked at her mom pointedly. "You're seriously asking me that?"_

 _Lorelai jumped up "Come on"_

 _"Where are we going?" Rory looked up at her mother._

 _"We need to find out for sure."_

 _Rory whispered under her breath "We can't get it from here mom, the rumors will start flying within about fifteen minutes."_

 _"Damn you're right," Lorelai thought for a moment. "We'll go to Litchfield, nobody knows us there?"_

 _A few hours later Rory and Lorelai found themselves sitting on the bathroom floor, Rory in tears with her head in her mother's lap._

 _"Well, this is a familiar scene. You, me, you talking on the great white telephone, crying over Logan..." Lorelai joked "I feel like we have been here before"_

 _Rory sat up and rubbed the tears from her eyes. "What am I going to do mom?"_

 _"It will all be okay Ror," she said brushing her daughter's hair with her hand._

 _"I can't have a baby, not while I am still in college" Rory shook her head "We're not even together. Oh god, how am I going to tell him" she said as she started to cry again._

 _"Rory, breathe," Lorelai said as she forced her daughter to look at her. "The first thing you need to do is let this news sink in okay, it's a complete shock. The second thing you need to do before you even think about speaking to Logan - work out what YOU want. Not what I want, not what Logan wants – what you want to do about this."_

 _Rory looked at her mother and nodded._

 _"Whatever you decide to do Rory, I will support you, you know that," Lorelai said hugging her daughter tightly to her._

The decision surrounded her pregnancy was one that Rory had sat on for a couple of weeks while she went back to Yale and tried to carry on with life as normal, well, as much as she possibly could with the need to make a decision hanging over her. Her first instinct had been that she couldn't go through with the pregnancy and Lorelai had made it clear that if that was what she truly wanted, she would be with her every step of the way but she had also urged Rory to take time to think the decision through properly and not to make a knee-jerk decision that she would come to regret in the future.

Sitting in her living room now, looking around at the photos on the wall, the scribbles and drawings her daughter had proudly presented with her and the knick-knacks they had picked up on their adventures, she couldn't be more grateful that her mom had forced her to take her time to make the life-changing decision that had faced her.

 _Flashback – April 2006_

 _As she was sitting on a bench in the sunshine outside her dorm she thought about her life with mother, and how much adversity they had faced getting to where they were. She wondered what Lorelai's life would have been like if she herself had made a different decision when she'd found herself unexpectedly pregnant with Rory, and she thought about what her own life would be like if she took any of the paths that were waiting to be travelled. Rory pulled her cell phone out of her pocket._

 _"Mom?" she said when Lorelai answered the call._

 _"Hi hon, are you okay?" Lorelai said. She'd been so worried about her daughter._

 _Rory spoke quietly "I think I know what I want to do now"_

 _"You do" Lorelai held her breath waiting for her daughter to say more._

 _"Yeah..." Rory said, "Now, I just need to work out how to break it to my ex-boyfriend that he's going to be a father" she sighed._

* * *

A/N: Welcome to my new story - I hope you like it. Let me know your thoughts - what you think so far, whether you like it, what you'd like to see happen ❤️


	2. Thanks For The Memories

The thing that had surprised Rory about Logan more than anything was just how much he had stepped up for them. Their relationship, if you could call it that, had been less than friendly since the breakup but it was like that was all forgotten in an instant.

Before she had told Logan that she was pregnant, Rory had pretty much convinced herself that he would want nothing to do with her or the baby, but once she had made the final decision to go ahead with the pregnancy she knew that the first thing she had to do was tell Logan before she even thought about telling anybody else. Lorelai had made her an appointment with the doctor and everything had been confirmed – Rory had been surprised at the time to find out that she was already coming up to three months.

 _Flashback – May 2006_

 _Rory stood outside the door of Logan's place – the apartment that they used to share until just a few months ago. She had never thought in a million years that she'd find herself back there but the situation being what it was, she felt like she had no other choice but to pull up her big girls pants and face things head on. She took a really deep breath before lifting her hand to knock at the door – a cycle that she had to repeat several times over before she finally found the courage to actually knock. She waited a few excruciating long moments before the door finally opened._

 _Logan was certainly surprised to see Rory stood in front of him. He had tried everything to get her back in the weeks that followed their break up. He had tried so hard to make her see things from his point of view but nothing had worked. Eventually, he had admitted defeat, he knew that it was pointless continuing to pursue her and since then he hadn't seen her in weeks – so he couldn't help but wonder what had brought her to be standing in front of him right now._

 _"_ _Rory, is everything okay?" he asked._

 _Rory chewed on her lip. In her head, she had rehearsed her lines over and over but now that she was stood right in front of him, they'd vanished clear out of her mind. She cleared her throat._

 _"_ _Erm, yeah, well no not really. Erm, Can I come in?" she stumbled over her words._

 _"_ _Sure," he said as he opened the door wider to let her through._

 _Rory walked into the apartment to find Colin and Finn sitting on the sofa playing on the Xbox – it wasn't quite the scenario that she had been hoping for._

 _"_ _Hey Rory, fancy seeing you here," Colin said as he looked up from the game._

 _She smiled weakly and turned to look at Logan, making a silent plea with her eyes. Fortunately, he knew her well enough to pick up on what she was trying to say to him._

 _"_ _Erm guys, do you think you could give us a few minutes?" Logan said to his friends._

 _Colin and Finn took the hint and nodded. "We'll be at the pub"_

 _"_ _Okay, I'll see you there in a bit," Logan said as they left the apartment._

 _As his friends walked out, Logan turned to look at Rory expectantly. "Did you want something in particular?" he asked her._

 _She was a little taken aback by the coldness in his tone though she knew it was to be expected. She had spent weeks avoiding and ignoring him. Rory took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I think you had probably better sit down for this."_

 _"_ _Why?" he looked at her stubbornly._

 _"_ _Logan, please" she begged._

 _Obligingly, he sighed and took a seat on the sofa while she walked over to the window to keep a safe distance from him._

 _"_ _Rory, what is this about?" he looked at her as she stared out of the window._

 _"_ _I'm pregnant," she said matter-of-factly. She felt a little bad for just blurting it out at him but there really were no other words needed._

 _"_ _What?" Logan shouted._

 _"_ _I'm pregnant" she repeated and turned around to look at him._

 _"_ _I don't…I mean…how…" he stammered "Rory. We were always really careful"_

 _"_ _Apparently not always" Rory rolled her eyes and looked back out of the window._

 _"_ _And it's definitely…" Logan started to say before he was interrupted._

 _Rory spun around on the spot to look at him, her normally sparkling blue eyes filling with tears "Don't you dare Logan! Don't you dare ask me if it's yours"_

 _"_ _I'm sorry," he said as he pushed his hand through his messy blonde hair. He got up from the sofa and moved towards her._

 _Rory looked at Logan "And yes before you ask me, I am keeping it."_

 _Logan reached out to touch her but she knew that she wouldn't be able to stand it._

 _"_ _I have to go," she said as she pushed past him._

 _"_ _Rory, wait, don't go" he called after her._

 _"_ _I have to go" she repeated and rushed out of his apartment leaving the door to slam shut behind her._

When Rory had left his apartment that day, Logan was left absolutely reeling from the bombshell news – it was the kind of news that college boys like him dreaded receiving and for that reason he had been always very careful so as to avoid being in the very situation he had found himself in, however Rory was completely different. He had loved Rory, hell, at that point he still loved her and he had known straight away that he had to support her in this, whatever she decided.

 _Flashback – May 2006_

 _"_ _Thanks for agreeing to meet me," Logan said as Rory sat down opposite him in the pub._

 _"_ _I guess I owe you that much" she shrugged. They both sat in complete silence for a moment._

 _"_ _Look, Logan, I really don't want anything from you, I know exactly what your family are going to think about this and that's fine…"_

 _"_ _I don't care what my family think, this isn't about them at all" Logan sighed._

 _Rory laughed sarcastically "No it's not but that's not going to stop them expressing their opinion is it? I only told you because I figured you had every right to know that you're going to be a father but I made the decision to go ahead with this and I am more than happy to do this on my own."_

 _Logan took a deep breath. Hearing her say that he was going to be a father, hearing those words out loud, was really going to take a lot of getting used to._

 _"_ _Rory, you don't have to be on your own. I want to be involved, in whatever capacity that might be" he reached over to put his hand on top of hers when he noticed she was shaking a little._

 _Rory bit her lip nervously. "Logan…"_

 _"_ _I mean it, Rory. I'm not going anywhere and I'm not going to shirk my responsibilities" he shook his head._

 _"_ _Thanks," she said as she looked up at him._

 _"_ _Just let me know what you need," Logan said._

It was fair to say that accepting the news hadn't really come that easy to either of them. They were both still in college, making it possibly one of the worst times for them to find themselves in their predicament but yet there they were - Rory three months pregnant with her ex-boyfriend's baby and totally alone.

Their families didn't exactly receive the news of her pregnancy with glee either but slowly they came around, but really, they had no choice other than to accept it for what it was. They were mostly upset that Rory and Logan were no longer together and had of coursed pressed for them to get married but both of them knew that was not going to happen and so the subject was eventually dropped.

Since then the two families had managed to rub alongside each other civilly, though Rory avoided spending time with the Huntzbergers as much as possible, leaving Logan to provide them with the contact with their granddaughter. She knew that Shira thought little of her and was painfully aware that in the society circles that they moved in, her pregnancy had been labelled as being very 'convenient'. It had been a driving factor in the decision to give Ava the Gilmore name rather than make her a Huntzberger.

* * *

Rory had arranged to meet her best friend Steph for lunch at a café not far from her apartment. When she got there Steph was already sitting at a table waiting for her.

"No Ava today?" Steph said pouting as she realized Rory was alone.

Rory shook her head "I'm afraid not, it's Logan's weekend to have her."

"Aww sad, I was looking forward to a good gossip with my BFF" Steph laughed.

Steph had been a really good friend to Rory over the past few years. They had never really been that close to start with but gradually the more time they had spent together, their friendship had deepened and these days Rory didn't know what she would do without her in her life. It had initially been a different position to be in, being close friends with both Logan and Rory but Ava completely adored her Aunty Steph and in return, she doted on Ava.

"Well, I'm sorry Stephanie, but you'll just have to make do with me and my sparking conversation," Rory said as she reached into her bag to grab her phone as it beeped with an incoming message. She opened up the message to see it was from Logan.

"Ava is totally killing it in her dance class today. Do you remember when she had just been born and we looked at her in her crib in the hospital, when she was pointing her toes? We said then that she'd be a ballet dancer. This girl is awesome. L x"

Rory felt a pang of something that she couldn't quite describe. Of course, she clearly remembered that moment, it would be etched in her mind forever. She'd walked away in tears shortly after and locked herself in the bathroom to have a good cry on her own, passing it off as post-natal hormones. Despite herself, she smiled at the message that she had just received. Logan being so invested in their daughter was something that at one time she had never imagined would be possible.

"Earth to Rory" Steph called to her friend. "Hellooooo"

"Oh I'm sorry, what were you saying?" Rory shook her head.

"Huh. Man of the moment?" Steph questioned nodding towards Rory's phone.

"Oh, no, erm, quite the opposite, it was Logan," Rory said not quite meeting her friend's eye.

"Oh, I see…" Steph said as she picked up her cup of coffee.

Rory rolled her eyes. "Steph don't give me that look"

Steph raised an eyebrow "What?!" she said innocently.

"You know what I mean…" Rory warned.

"So, there's nothing going on there then?" Steph asked "With you and Logan?"

"You know there's not" Rory groaned.

"Do I?" Steph laughed and Rory shot her friend a look. Steph put her hands in the air "All I am saying is that you've got previous…"

"That was one time and it was a really long time ago," Rory said firmly.

"Not that long" Steph shot back.

Rory didn't look up as she stirred her coffee. "It was over eighteen months ago and it was a mistake. A very big mistake."

"Whatever you say," Steph said sipping her coffee.

Rory felt irritated by the conversation "Can we please just change the subject?"

 _Flashback – February 2008_

 _"_ _So, you had a good Valentine's weekend?" Logan asked Rory as she quietly shut the door to their daughter's bedroom behind them. Logan had just dropped a sleeping Ava back to her and they'd tag-teamed it to try and get her settled before she woke up._

 _"_ _Oh yeah, you know, I didn't really know what to do with myself what with all the men falling over themselves to take me out," Rory said sarcastically "So I decided to just hedge my bets and stay in with my old faithful, Ben and Jerry,"_

 _"_ _What, no hot date?" Logan said with a raised eyebrow._

 _"_ _Oddly enough, no. Turns out, small toddler – little bit of a passion-killer, who knew" Rory rolled her eyes "Of course it doesn't help that I feel a lot like a dead mommy most days, I must look a complete mess" she said as pushed her hair back out of her eyes._

 _Logan smiled "Of course you don't, you're still the same ravishing creature that you always were."_

 _Rory smiled back "I doubt that very much. Do you want a drink?" she said out of nowhere. She was surprised that the words had even come out of her mouth._

 _"_ _Erm, sure," Logan said as he looked at his watch to check the time._

 _"_ _If you've got somewhere else you need to be then…" she said._

 _"_ _No, there's nowhere I need to go, I'll just make a quick call okay?" Logan said as he pulled out his phone and stepped into the hallway to excuse himself from his evening plans before walking back into the living room and taking the scotch from Rory._

 _They both sat down on the sofa and exchanged casual chat about their lives for a little while but before too long one drink had turned into another, and another and before either of them realized what was happening they were making out of the sofa like a couple of teenagers and Rory knew that they had reached the point of return and she was most definitely going to let him score a home run that night. It had been too long._

 _Rory and Logan completely lost themselves in each other but afterwards, it didn't take too long until they both felt a little awkward about the situation they found themselves in. They carefully adjusted their clothes back into place and Rory who was slightly embarrassed at just how quickly they had got carried away, was not able to look Logan in the eye. Logan could sense her discomfort and decided it was probably time to give her a little space._

 _"_ _I…erm, I guess, I had better go," Logan said as he gestured towards the door._

 _"_ _Yeah," Rory said fiddling with her hair "Logan, I'm really sorry about that…I…that – it probably shouldn't have happened," She said shaking her head._

 _Logan shrugged "No worries." He said as he walked towards the door "It's just one of those things. I'll speak to you later in the week?"_

 _"_ _Sure" Rory forced a smile._

Though neither of them wanted to admit it to themselves, they were still both desperately in love with each other and it was so frustrating for all those around them. Of course, Logan being Logan had been dating on and off over the years they'd been apart but Rory had mainly kept herself to herself, her main focus and priority always being Ava.

* * *

Logan sat watching his daughter twirling in her dance class and marvelled over how his life had come to this. Saturday mornings spent in a pre-schooler ballet class. He would never ever have pictured it being his life but now that it was, he wouldn't change it for the world. He loved his weekends with Ava, in fact, he loved being with her full-stop and often felt a little sad when it was time to hand her back over to Rory. As the class came to an end, Logan was completely lost in his own thoughts as he turned around and bumped straight into the dance teacher.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," he said to the petite blonde.

"Totally my fault" she smiled "You're Ava's dad? She's quite the little starlet"

Logan nodded and laughed. "She's certainly my daughter. I'm Logan Huntzberger" he said holding out his hand.

"I'm Sarah," she said shaking it graciously. "I've seen you here before I think, I was speaking to your wife last week."

"She's not my…I mean we're not…" he said awkwardly as Ava ran up to hold his hand.

"Oh, I'm sorry I just assumed…" Sarah said apologetically.

"Easy assumption to make, no harm done" Logan flashed one of his famous smiles.

Ava tugged on his arm "Come on daddy, I want to get milkshake"

He smiled at the dance teacher "I've got to go. Nice to meet you Sarah" he said as he walked away.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for all the comments so far. I hope you will enjoy this story. I know it's slightly AU and that's not everyone's cup of tea but I hope you'll stick with it. While the storyline is AU I plan to keep the characters as true to themselves as possible!**


	3. Wonderland

Logan had been pretty much omnipresent in the lives of Rory and Ava since their precious baby girl had first made her entrance into the world a couple of days late back in December 2006. While he had been around to support her throughout her pregnancy, Rory had been absolutely adamant that she didn't want Logan to be present at the birth, to her it had seemed way too intimate for a couple that were no longer together. She did however backtrack on this and towards the end of her labor she'd had a mini-freakout and a massive change of heart resulting in Lorelai having to make a last minute call and Logan having to make a mad dash to be by her side. He had got there just in time to see their daughter arrive in the world, all pink and screaming, and to witness her taking her first breath was something he knew he would never forget. It had been one of the most special moments of their lives.

 _Flashback – December 2006_

 _"_ _It's pretty incredible that we made that huh," Logan said as he peered into the crib next to the side of Rory's bed._

 _"_ _Did you just call my daughter 'that'?" Rory raised an eyebrow._

 _Logan laughed "She needs a name"_

 _"_ _Agreed" Rory smiled, "I thought about this a lot while I was pregnant and I really like Ava," she said nervously. "Ava Victoria"_

 _"_ _Ava Victoria" Logan repeated out loud. "I like it" he nodded._

 _"_ _You do?" Rory said slightly surprised. She had been prepared to have a lengthy discussion with Logan about the name and hadn't expected him to be on board with is straightaway._

 _"_ _Ava Victoria…Gilmore?" Logan asked, "I mean, I presume that you'll want her to be Gilmore."_

 _Rory nodded awkwardly "Yeah, she's going to be Gilmore. Is that okay? It's just…I don't really want to have a different name to my daughter and we're not together so…"_

 _"_ _It's fine" Logan shrugged. He would have loved for his daughter, his first child, to take his name but it was not something that he was going to push for. He understood Rory's reasons completely._

 _An awkward moment of silence hung in the air but right on cue, baby Ava started to fuss and cry and Logan leaned over into the crib to gently pick her up._

 _"_ _Do you think she's hungry?" he asked Rory._

 _Rory looked at him and shrugged "I have no idea, I have no idea what I am doing at all!"_

 _Logan carefully passed their daughter across to Rory who positioned herself in the way the nurse had shown her so that she could comfortably feed her baby. As she placed Ava at her breast and the baby began to suckle, she relaxed a little. Trying to get to grips with breastfeeding was one of the things that had made her the most anxious. Logan looked at his ex-girlfriend feeding their tiny new baby and he felt a little awestruck. He also felt a little like a spare part and somehow it seemed that he was intruding on what should be a private moment._

 _"_ _I guess I'll just leave you to it," he said as he got up from the side of the bed where he was perched._

 _"_ _You don't have to go Logan" Rory laughed "You've seen my boobs plenty of times. Hell, you just saw a fully formed human being exit my body…I think the time for being coy is officially over."_

 _"_ _Don't remind me" Logan grimaced "That was like a scene out of a scary movie. Best contraception ever. I may never go near a woman ever again" he joked._

 _Rory smiled weakly, his words, unintentionally, were bringing home to her the fact that this was not her boyfriend she was talking to, he didn't belong to her._

 _"_ _Anyway, I'm going to shoot off, I need to get changed. I'll come back later?" Logan said – it was more of a question rather than a statement. He really wasn't sure how much she was going to want him to be around and he didn't want to overstep the mark._

 _She nodded "Yeah, that would be nice"_

 _"_ _I'll see you both later then" he paused briefly before kissing Rory on top of her head. "You did good Ace"_

While she was pregnant, and immediately after the birth, Rory and Ava had lived in Stars Hollow with Lorelai but after a short while Rory decided that her childhood bedroom really wasn't big enough for the two of them and what she really needed more than anything was her own space. This, however, was easier said than done as with no job and no money she had no way of renting herself an apartment. Logan had offered to help out of course but she was far too proud to accept his money. Fortunately her father Christopher stepped in and was only too happy to help buy his daughter and granddaughter an apartment in Hartford with the money that he had been left when his grandfather died. Once she was settled in her own space, that's when she finally felt like she was stepping out into the world on her own two feet. It was Rory and Ava against the world.

Much to her surprise, Logan made sure he saw Ava on a regular basis and eventually they came to an agreement on how they were going to share their daughter. They managed to work out a casual amicable agreement together rather than having to drag things through the courts and it seemed to work really well for them. Neither of them had felt the need to make anything official when they were still able to get on well and ultimately both had the very best interests of their daughter at heart. Ava was a happy, well-adjusted little girl who spent the majority of her time with Rory but went off to stay with Logan every other weekend and at different times throughout the week when his work schedule permitted.

* * *

On Sunday afternoon Logan arrived back at Rory's apartment in Hartford to drop Ava home before he left for his scheduled business trip. Rory was looking forward to getting her back as she always missed her terribly when they weren't together.

"Hey!" Rory squealed as she opened the door and Ava launched herself at her legs. "Did you have a good time with daddy Ava?" she asked.

"I did, I did," Ava said as she jumped up and down.

"That's great" Rory smiled "And I can see that someone has also been enjoying some chocolate today" she laughed as she wiped Ava's face with a tissue from her pocket.

"Sorry" Logan laughed "We got in a bit of a mess".

"Why don't you take your bag through to your room sweetie," Rory said as she kissed her daughter on the top of the head and watched as she skipped off to her bedroom. "Thanks for having her," she said as she turned back to Logan.

"You don't ever have to thank me for looking after my own daughter," Logan said. "Did you have a nice time with Steph yesterday? It's been a while since I saw her."

"Yeah it was really nice to catch up actually, you know, without any little ears around we could have a proper girly chat." Rory smiled. "You should catch up with her sometime. I'm sure she'd love to see you"

Logan nodded "Maybe I will. Anyway, I had better shoot, I've got a plane to catch."

"Of course. Ava" Rory called "Come and say goodbye to daddy, he's leaving now."

Ava came running back down the hallway "Bye daddy, I'll miss you" she said.

Logan bent down and picked her up "I'll miss you too princess but you know, I'll see you very soon."

"In a few days?" she asked hopefully.

Logan sighed "Well no, I have to go away for a little bit but soon."

"No daddy," Ava said as she clung on to him "I want daddy here"

He looked across at Rory. It was always hard saying goodbye to Ava, especially when she turned on the famed Huntzberger charm that she seemed to have inherited. It was harder still when business trips took away the time he had available to spend with her. The next weekend was Rory' turn so he knew he wouldn't see Ava now for nearly two weeks.

"Ava honey, you really need to let daddy go as he's got an important trip to go on" Rory paused for a moment. "but maybe when daddy gets back later this week he could come over and have dinner with us" She smiled uneasily at Logan.

"And we can watch the chocolate bar film?" Ava said happily.

"Sure" Rory nodded "We can put the chocolate bar film on"

"Okay daddy, I see you later," she said as she waved and disappeared back off to her room, happy as a clam to have got her own way once again.

"You do not have to come" Rory laughed "she'll have probably forgotten all about it by tomorrow anyhow."

"No, I'd like to…I mean as long as you're not cooking. I'm up for most things, I love a risk as much as the next guy, but a good dose of salmonella? I'd rather avoid that."

Rory rolled her eyes "My cooking is not that bad. I've kept your daughter alive all these years but don't worry, we can get take-out"

"Okay, it's a date" Logan winked, making Rory blush a little. "I better go," he said as he dropped a kiss on her cheek.

"See you later" Rory waved. She closed the door behind her and leaned back against it with a sigh. She wondered why it seemed like her daughter was playing matchmaker extraordinaire all of a sudden and she couldn't help but wonder what she had just got herself into.

* * *

Later that week, as promised Logan came around for dinner with Rory and Ava. When Ava heard the knock at the apartment door she ran down the hallway and threw the door open.

"Daddy!" she squealed.

"Hey, you!" Logan said as Ava jumped up into his arms.

"Did you miss me?" she asked.

"I did! I missed that smile" he said as he popped her back on the ground. "Hey," he said to Rory as he handed her a bottle of wine. "Crack that open, it's been a long week"

"And there I was thinking you were just languishing gifts on me" she smiled.

"Don't worry, I'll share?" he said as closed the door behind him.

They all settled down on the sofa to watch Rory and Ava's favorite film, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, while they waited for the take-out to arrive. Logan went to fetch it from the delivery guy when it arrived and they sat around the living room enjoying the food while they watched the film. Rory couldn't help but think that anyone looking in would think it was the perfect picture of domesticity but it wasn't real. By the time they had finished their meal, Ava was getting sleepier and sleepier and her head was resting lazily on Rory's lap. Logan looked across at them, two of the most important girls in his life and felt a surge of pride.

"Do you want me to put Ava to bed?" Logan asked.

Rory looked down at her daughter whose eyelids were drooping "Oh yeah, you can do that" she said. It always felt a little odd when Logan did the bedtime routine at Rory's apartment but it wasn't the first time and he knew his way around well enough to just be able to get on with it so she took the opportunity to put her feet up and enjoy another glass of wine. When Logan had finished with Ava he came back into the living room.

"She's fast asleep," he said with his hands in his pockets. Rory watched as he started to collect up his things.

"Thanks" Rory smiled. "Do you have to go?" she asked taking a sip of her wine. "You could stay for a bit, I mean if you wanted to?"


	4. The Way We Were

_"Thanks" Rory smiled. "Do you have to go?" she asked taking a sip of her wine. "You could stay for a bit, I mean if you wanted to?"_

"No, I don't have to, I'll stay for a bit," Logan said.

Rory and Logan sat around for the rest of the evening, completely relaxed in each other's company, almost too relaxed. Rory couldn't remember the last time they'd spent a few hours alone just talking and laughing and reminiscing about old times and she kind of liked it.

"Do you remember when Finn had that crazy Tarantino themed party? He was so drunk that night. That was a good party." She laughed.

Logan looked at her. "Do I remember? Clearly! What I remember most is you trying to make me insanely jealous by turning up as Robert's date and then refusing to leave with me!"

"As I remember it worked very well, it was all part of my evil master plan" she laughed. "besides, you had a date too so you're a fine one to talk!"

 _Flashback – 2005_

 _Rory entered the party with Robert and immediately noticed Logan sitting with his date on the sofa in the corner of the room, looking very cozy indeed. She tried so hard not to look over at him, she really didn't want him to think that she was bothered and instead focused on Colin who had come over to say hello. They were busy talking about Colin's unfortunate date when Logan and his own date approached them._

 _"Well, well, well. The gang's all here. Robert, good to see you" he said not taking his eyes away from Rory._

 _"Hello Logan," Robert said._

 _"Rory, like the costume" he nodded in her direction. She was dressed as Gogo Yubari from the Kill Bill movies and the fact that she was standing there in front of him in her old school uniform was driving him a little crazy. He had at least ten things that he wanted to do to her in that costume running through his mind and it was very distracting._

 _Rory smiled "I like yours too," she said as she took in his Butch Coolidge Pulp Fiction costume. He looked incredibly sexy tonight and it was hard for her to try and disguise what she was thinking._

 _"This is Whitney," Logan said introducing his date to the group. " Whitney, Robert, Rory. You know Colin."_

 _"Hi," Whitney said with a smile._

 _"Whitney, is your friend Josie here?" Colin asked her._

 _Whitney turned and pointed across the room "Yeah, she's over there with the guy dressed like Harvey Weinstein."_

 _"Perfect. I'll see you later." Colin said walking away._

 _"Leave her alone, Colin" Whitney laughed._

 _"So. Good party, huh?" Logan said to Robert and Rory._

 _"Seems like it," Robert said staring at Logan._

 _Rory could see that there was definitely something going down between the two. "Music's cool" She interjected._

 _"Very cool," Logan said without looking away from Robert. "Well, we're just heading over to the bar, can we get you two anything?"_

 _"No, we're just going to take a look around," Robert said as he put his arm around Rory's waist._

 _"Okay, well, catch you later," Logan smirked._

 _"Sounds good" Rory nodded._

"I still cannot believe you went to that party with Robert" Logan laughed and shook his head.

Rory rolled her eyes. "Why we were 'stringless', just how you wanted it to be, remember? Anyway, It's not like you asked me to go with you. I can't believe you tried to make out with me when we both had dates there!"

"If my memory serves me right you were enjoying that making out" Logan winked.

"You were so jealous it was untrue!" Rory laughed and shook her head.

 _Flashback – 2005_

 _The party was in full swing and Rory was waiting at a table for Robert to return with her drink when Logan approached her from behind._

 _"Hey, Ace. Having a good time?" he asked._

 _Rory smiled politely. "I am, thanks" She felt flustered but she hoped it wasn't showing too much. She'd been sleeping with this guy semi-regularly recently but now here they were trying to act all casual._

 _" Good. That's good. Me, too. I'm having a good time too." Logan smiled at her._

 _"Good," she said, wondering where exactly this conversation was going._

 _"Yes, it is good," Logan said taking a sip of his drink. "So I didn't know you knew Robert."_

 _"I met him at the Life and Death Brigade gathering. And the poker game." Rory reminded Logan._

 _"Oh. Right, right. Well, he must have made quite an impression" He said with a raised eyebrow._

 _Rory smiled "He just asked me out, is all." She could sense that Logan was a little jealous and she wasn't going to lie to herself, she kind of liked that. He was on the backfoot for once._

 _"Sure," He said as he took another sip of his drink. "He's kind of a jerk."_

 _"Excuse me?" Rory looked at him incredulously._

 _"Robert. He's kind of a jerk. Haven't you noticed he's kind of a jerk?" Logan asked._

 _"Nope," she said shaking her head._

 _"Huh" Logan shrugged as he finished his drink "Night's young. Okay, come on" he said as he grabbed her wrist._

 _"Where are we going? Logan!" Rory squealed as Logan pulled her into a dark corner of the room._

 _"You look great," he said as he put his hands around her waist._

 _"Thank you," she said as Logan pulled her close and kissed her forcefully. Rory pushed him away. "Logan, stop."_

 _"Right, so, how you been?" he asked her casually._

 _"I've been fine," she said, her tone a bit cooler._

 _"Good. School's good?" Logan asked. Rory could tell he wasn't really interested at all, he was just making conversation._

 _"School's hard" She sighed._

 _"Well, it's supposed to be hard. It's grounding you for life" he said as he pulled her into another kiss before pulling away. "Making you an upstanding citizen," he said before he kissed her again._

 _"God-fearing Christian," she said, breathlessly._

 _"Habitual recycler" Logan smirked as they kissed again. This time Rory returned the kiss fully and allowed it to deepen before she pulled away again._

 _"We can't do this here, Logan," she said looking around to see if anyone had noticed them._

 _Logan looked at her "You're right. Let's go."_

 _"Go where?" she asked. Rory couldn't believe he was acting like this._

 _"Your place. My place. Let's take a train to New York, spend the night in the Plaza." Logan was practically begging._

 _"We can't just leave. We have dates" she exclaimed._

 _Logan shook his head "I don't like this."_

 _" Like what?" she questioned. This jealous version of Logan was a new development and she was finding it somewhat entertaining. She felt kind of happy that he was getting a taste of his own medicine._

 _"You here with Robert" Logan said pointedly._

 _"You're here with Whitney" she shot back._

 _"I know!" Logan said. He didn't know why this was driving him so mad. This sort of thing had never bothered him before but Rory got under his skin and he hated the thought of her with someone else._

 _"So, what's the problem?" she asked._

 _Logan looked at her. "The problem is you're here with Robert and it's bothering me, and I don't like that it's bothering me."_

 _Rory laughed sarcastically. "Sorry. Do you want us to leave?"_

 _"No," he said. "I want us to leave. You and me."_

 _"I can't do that." Rory shook her head._

 _Logan looked at her. "Oh, you want to spend the rest of the night with Robert instead of me?" he scoffed._

 _Rory knew she would go anywhere just to be with Logan but she had to stick to her guns. " I came here with Robert," she said firmly._

 _"So dump Robert! I hate Robert!" Logan said._

 _"He's your friend!" Rory laughed._

 _" So what? I still hate him" Logan shrugged._

 _"Logan, you're the one who said – " she started to say before he interrupted her._

 _"I know what I said." He said quickly not wanting to be reminded of the arrangement they had got themselves into._

 _" Okay, then. I have to go. I have a date. Enjoy the rest of the party." Rory said as she turned around and walked away from him._

"It was a long time ago now I guess," Rory said, ever so slightly sadly as she stood up suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable.

"Hey," Logan said as he pulled her arm to bring her back down "They were good times. Happy memories" he said.

"Yeah I guess they were good times," she said as she looked straight into his eyes.

Logan was completely captivated by Rory's sparkling blue eyes, he always had been. They had a way of just pulling him in and he was powerless to resist, she was his kryptonite. Before either of them even knew what was happening, something had passed between them and they slowly leaned in towards each other a little, their heads angled slightly as their lips came closer and closer together. Rory closed her eyes and inhaled sharply as she felt Logan's lips almost brush against hers. She could have sworn in that moment her heart actually skipped a few beats.

"Mommy?" a little voice from behind them brought them both swiftly back into the room and Rory jumped away from Logan quickly.

"Hey baby," she said opening her arms up as an invitation for Ava to come and see her "What's the matter sweetie?" she said a little flustered.

"I had a bad dream," she said quietly as she tucked Mr Woof under her arm and snuggled herself tightly into Rory. "Do you want mommy to come tuck you up again?" Rory asked and Ava nodded. "I erm, I had better get her back to bed" she turned to Logan.

"Yeah" he nodded "I should probably go anyhow, it's getting kind of late," he said standing up.

"Yeah, okay" Rory forced a smile. The moment that they had just experienced, whatever it was, had passed. "You can let yourself out right?" she said over her shoulder as she walked Ava back to her bedroom.

* * *

Logan closed the door behind him as he left Rory's apartment and took a deep breath as he thought about what had almost happened. Had he lost his mind? He had almost kissed her. He had wanted to kiss her so badly but now he was out of the moment he couldn't help but think that perhaps it was fortunate that Ava had come running in at that very moment and interrupted them before things got too carried away. Logan was pretty confident that things would have escalated and while he knew that tonight they would have both enjoyed it very much, in the cold light of day the repercussions could be bad.

As much as he cared for Rory, and he really did, Logan just wasn't sure that they should go down that road again, not unless they were both one hundred percent sure that it was what they wanted. Their relationship had been too volatile and Rory had never really shown him any indication that she wanted to re-establish a proper relationship.

Not only was he wary of getting hurt, but there was no way that he was willing to risk upsetting the way things were with Ava for what really amounted to a bit of fooling around. Things were good with his daughter and for the most part, they were also good with Rory. They had a comfortable relationship and they were on good terms. Throwing any other emotions into the mix would just be confusing for everyone involved.

He wasn't sure where that near-miss kiss had come from but Logan figured it probably shouldn't happen again. He wondered if whether he had been pulled towards her because he hadn't dated for a while and maybe that is what he needed, a date to take the edge off and take his mind off Rory.

* * *

In the apartment, Rory put Ava back to bed and once her breathing had slowed and she knew her daughter was perfectly settled she went back and sat back down on the sofa, trying to make sense of what had just gone down, or nearly gone down, with Logan. She picked up her phone, she needed to talk to someone.

"Steph? It's me. Can you talk?" she said when her friend answered the call.

"Hey Rory, sure, what's up?" Steph said.

"So did I tell you Logan was coming around for dinner tonight?" Rory asked.

Steph suddenly sounded a lot more interested in the call. "No, you didn't"

"It was nothing really, it was just that it wasn't his weekend and Ava really wanted to see him so I said he could come and around, have dinner, watch a movie…so he did and it was nice…"

"but…" Steph prompted.

"Well he stayed for a bit afterwards and we were just talking and stuff and then we almost kissed," Rory said quietly.

"You almost kissed?" Steph squealed. "As in you nearly kissed but you didn't? How close to kissing, what are we talking?" Steph bombarded Rory with questions.

"Pretty close, there was contact but then Ava came in…" Rory trailed off.

"Damn Ava! I need to teach that girl the art of timing. What does this even mean!" Steph said excitedly.

"I don't know, I'm so confused" Rory admitted.

Steph paused. "I'm just going to play devil's advocate here – you wanted to kiss him right?"

Rory stayed completely quiet for a moment. She didn't want to answer the question.

"RORY!" Steph shouted.

"Yes, okay, I wanted to kiss him" she admitted quietly.

"You have to tell him," Steph said matter of factly.

"Absolutely not. No way." Rory said firmly "After Ava interrupted us he couldn't get out of here quick enough".

"That doesn't mean anything," Steph said as she rolled her eyes even though Rory couldn't see her do it.

"It says enough to me," Rory said.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for all your comments so far, I am really enjoying writing this story so I hope you are enjoying reading it. For anyone concerned where this might head, all you need to know is that I am Team Logan all the way and, I am a sucker for a happy ending!


	5. Dancing Away

The next morning Rory found herself sitting outside Ava's Saturday morning dance lesson, nursing a cup of coffee with Steph who after last night's conversation had pretty much insisted on coming along, just so that she and Rory could catch up some more.

"So you're really not going to talk to him about it," Steph asked Rory.

"There's nothing to talk about," Rory said as she sipped her coffee.

"Nothing to talk about. Really? How about the fact that you and the love of your life, the father of your child almost made out last night" Steph smirked, "That's pretty big."

"We weren't going to make out" Rory rolled her eyes "We just had a…moment, that's all."

"You're seriously telling me that it never even crossed your mind?" Steph asked.

Rory pouted. "I…well"

Steph squealed "I knew it!"

Rory shook her head at her friend. "But the moment has passed, there's no need to make things any more awkward than they are undoubtedly going to be."

Steph was just about to question Rory some more about talking to Logan when the door to the hall opened. With the class finished Rory went over to collect Ava from the dance teacher.

"Oh hi," she smiled brightly at Rory "You can go with your mommy now Ava," Sarah said to the little girl as she stood by her side.

"Hey baby girl, did you enjoy your less?" Rory said to her daughter who looked up and nodded at her.

"I learned a new twirl," she said proudly.

"Wow, well I really can't wait to see it. I'm sure daddy will love to hear all about that too" Rory said as she rubbed the top of Ava's head. "Perhaps you can call him later and tell him?"

"Maybe when your daddy brings you again Ava we can show him," the teacher said to Ava.

"I'm sorry?" Rory said a little confused.

"Oh, I met Ava's father last week when he brought her to class." Sarah smiled.

Rory looked at the dance teacher thinking that it was a slightly strange thing for her to bring up. "Oh, yeah, well he brings her along every other week when it's his weekend to have Ava," she said.

"That's nice. We don't really get many fathers coming to lessons so they kind of stick out when they're here. He's very charming" Sarah said. "I can see where Ava gets her dazzling smile from."

Rory furrowed her brow a little. "Yeah…I guess."

"Will he be coming to the dance recital tomorrow?" Sarah asked casually.

"Oh, I don't really know…I haven't mentioned it to him actually, it must have slipped my mind" Rory said. She was feeling a little annoyed by the conversation. It sounded very much like Sarah had taken a liking to Logan and Rory wasn't sure that she was best pleased about that or that she really wanted to be witnessing this starry-eyed look that Ava's dance teacher was currently displaying.

"Ah, I see, well it will be nice to see you there," Sarah said as she walked away to speak to another parent.

Rory turned slowly and raised an eyebrow at Steph "Well that was…weird? Sounds a little like Logan has an admirer, don't you think?"

"I'll say! That was way inappropriate by even my standards and you know my moral compass doesn't exactly point due north" Steph exclaimed. "You want me to go take that bitch down?"

Rory rolled her eyes and shrugged while she smiled at her feisty friend. "No, it's fine. It's not really any of my business what, or for that matter who, Logan does."

* * *

The following afternoon Rory took her seat in the hall, ready to watch Ava's first dance recital and as the hall filled up, she saved a space for Logan. When she had left the dance class yesterday she had texted him to let him know about the performance and apologized for giving him such short notice. The show was just about to start when Logan finally arrived and took his seat next to her.

"Sorry I'm late" he whispered "traffic was absolutely crazy"

"It's fine, you're here that's all that matters" she whispered back. "Ava was so excited when I told her that you were coming to watch."

Logan smiled at Rory as the music began to start up. They proudly watched their daughter showing off her best dance moves on the stage. Ava was a proper little performer, more than happy in the spotlight and she just loved to be the center of attention. They were both painfully aware that this girl was going to cause them no end of bother when she was a teenager, she was such a livewire!

When the recital was finished the parents of all the children spent some time mingling with each other and making polite conversation over coffee and cake. Rory was busy talking to another one of the moms when she caught sight of Logan on the other side of the room deep in conversation with the dance teacher. She felt a little uncomfortable watching them talk so tried very hard to distract herself in conversation with other parents but it was really hard fir her not to focus on him.

When it was time to leave Logan walked Rory and Ava back to her car.

"I think Ava's dance teacher has taken a shine to you," Rory said without looking at him. The conversation between them had been a little stilted since their near-kiss and both of them seemed to be actively avoiding mentioning it.

"Ha," Logan laughed. "She seems nice" he paused before he continued. "She kind of asked me out for a coffee actually," he said a little awkwardly. He felt a bit uncomfortable telling Rory that and he really hoped that she wouldn't feel hurt in any way but he wanted to be completely straight up with her.

"Oh!" Rory said, trying but completely failing to hide her surprise. It had been totally obvious that Sarah liked Logan, but what she hadn't been prepared for was her to be so upfront in asking him out.

Logan looked at her "Is that okay? I mean, it's not too weird or anything is it?"

Rory wasn't really sure what to say about this new development and she knew that she was probably doing an absolutely terrible job of hiding it. "Erm no, I mean, sorry, of course, it's okay, you're a free man" she smiled "You can do whatever you want!"

* * *

A few days later Logan sat with Sarah in a coffee shop near to the dance school. They'd been enjoying a drink and each other's company for an over an hour and so far were getting on really well. Logan listened as she told him about her job and why she had moved to Connecticut and he told her about his role in the family business and his relationship with Ava. He thought Sarah was really nice. There was no denying she was very attractive and she was definitely interesting but there was something holding him back a little and he didn't have to try very hard to work out what it was.

However hard he tried to push it to the back of his mind, she wasn't Rory, she would never be Rory, but at some point, he knew he would have to stop comparing every woman he met to his ex-girlfriend. Logan knew that he was probably never going to meet someone who could match up to Rory and in an ideal world he'd pick her as the woman he wanted to spend his life with but being with Rory didn't seem like an option. He'd made the decision not to pursue her so as not to screw things up with Ava but even if he had wanted to explore a relationship with Rory, it was clearly not what she wanted.

* * *

"Let me just make sure that I am understanding this properly," Steph said. "Logan asked you if it was okay for him to go out on a date with your daughter's dance teacher, and you said yes?" she asked as she sat in Rory's apartment.

"It's just coffee" Rory shrugged.

"Sure. And what if it turns into more than coffee?" Steph raised an eyebrow.

Rory pulled a face. "Then that's really nothing to do with me is it?" she said. Rory stood up when there was a knock on the door. She walked over to open it.

"Logan! Was I expecting you? Did I get the time wrong again?" she groaned as she looked at her watch. She had known that Logan was due to collect Ava as he was taking them out for one of his regular midweek dinner treats but hadn't expected to see him yet for another hour or two.

"No" he smiled "I'm a little early but I was in the area, so I didn't think you'd mind me stopping by," he said as he walked into the living room. "Steph! I didn't know you would be here, how are you?" he said giving his old friend a warm embrace.

"Hey Logan, long time no see. I was just here, chewing the fat with Ror" she smiled.

"Where's Ava?" Logan asked as he looked around for any sign of his daughter.

"She's at her gymnastics class," Rory said.

"Damn, yes I forgot, do you want me to collect her?" Logan asked.

"Yeah that would be nice, she'll like that" Rory smiled. "So what were you in the neighborhood for?"

Logan looked at Rory a little uncomfortably before answering but he really didn't need to say anything as Rory suddenly caught on when she saw the look on his face.

"Oh right, your date," she said, trying to keep her tone casual. "How did that go?" she asked exchanging glances with Steph who quickly smiled at Logan to hide the expression that she was trying to make at Rory.

"It was…nice" Logan shrugged. He felt incredibly awkward talking about his date with Rory but there was always going to be other people in their lives and they were probably going to need to get used to it.

An uncomfortable silence hung over the three of them for the moment.

"Sorry, I am being rude. Do you want a coffee, Logan? Class doesn't finish for another half an hour…"

Logan nodded and so Rory got up and went to the kitchen to fetch him a drink. As soon as she was out of earshot Steph leaped up to talk to Logan.

"What are you doing!" Steph grabbed him on the arm.

"What?!" Logan exclaimed as he looked at her like she was a mad woman.

"Dating the dance teacher? Really? What about Rory?" she asked.

Confused, Logan shrugged. "What about Rory?"

"Ugh. I'm not blind Logan. You could cut the sexual tension in here with a freakin' knife!" Steph shook her head.

"You're totally imagining things Steph, there is nothing going on between me and Rory," Logan said.

Steph raised an eyebrow. "So, why did you almost kiss her then huh?"

"She told you about that?" Logan looked at Steph. "It was nothing."

"Oh, okay" Steph scoffed. "So you kiss your ex-girlfriend then immediately go on a date with someone else? That's really normal behaviour."

"You don't know what you're talking about Steph. Yes, we almost kissed but it was just the wine and the reminiscing, that kind of thing. Rory has made it plainly obvious on many occasions that she doesn't want anything more…" Logan ranted.

"Apart from that time you slept together" Steph interrupted. "I'm just saying!" she said in defense as Logan glared at her.

"What do you want Steph? Am I supposed to just sit around and wait for Rory to decide that she wants to be with me? Because I think I could be waiting a really long time for that and life is pretty short."

"Everything okay?" Rory looked at Steph and Logan as she walked back into the room with the cup of coffee. She knew that something had gone down between them while she had been in the kitchen, she could tell by their faces.

Rory forced a little smile and looked over at her friend. Steph caught her eye as she leaned back in the chair and shook her head in annoyance.

"Everything is fine," Logan said taking the coffee off her and taking a sip. "That's good coffee" he smiled "Thanks, Ace."


	6. Friends and Favors

Over the next couple of weeks, Logan went on a few more casual dates with Sarah. He wasn't sure if it was something that was actually going to go anywhere but he enjoyed her company and he had to admit he was having fun. He'd thought a lot about his conversation he'd had with Steph, wondering whether Rory had said anything to her to make her react so negatively about his date but he figured it was probably best just to let sleeping dogs lie. He avoided talking to Rory about Sarah though he knew she was fully away that they had been seeing each other.

Rory tried to push Logan's dating out of her mind as much possible. She believed it really was nothing to do with her, so she attempted to focus her mind on other things and tried to get her own life in order. What she really needed was a job. Ava would soon be starting school and Rory felt that she needed to move her life on and that would maybe stop her dwelling on the past so much. Logan was moving forward and it's what she needed to do too.

The only area Rory really felt she was struggling with in her life, other than her non-existent love life, was her lack of career prospects. Having a successful career in journalism was what she had been working towards for years and she felt that when she had become pregnant it had been cruelly snatched away from her. Not that she would change her life with Ava for anything but professionally, she felt very unfulfilled.

Rory had worked so hard to make sure that she graduated from Yale. Her grandparents Richard and Emily wanted to see her achieve her goal too and so they had helped her out as much as possible, even employing a nanny to take care of Ava when Rory needed to go to class or study. She had graduated over a year ago but as yet hadn't managed to find a job that fitted in with her life and more importantly, her daughter. When she heard that the Huntzberger Publishing Group had bought the Hartford Courant she decided to seize the moment and finally ask Logan to help her.

"Hey hey hey," Rory said exuberantly as Ava bounded through the door after a trip to the park with Logan. "Have fun?"

"We had a lot of fun, didn't we Ava." Logan smiled.

"Who had the most fun?" Rory teased.

"Daddy! He went on the big boy swing" Ava giggled.

"The big boy swing!" Rory pretended to gasp in shock "And who pushed him?' she said with her hand on her hip.

"Me" Ava said proudly before she skipped off merrily towards her bedroom.

"Wow, the big boy swing Logan? That was brave of you." she teased.

"Ava insisted" Logan rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I'll just go say goodbye to her and then I'll get out of your way…"

"Actually Logan, do you mind staying for a moment so I can talk to you about something?" Rory asked.

"Sure" Logan looked at Rory. She looked a little nervous and he wondered what it was she wanted to talk about. He followed her into the living room. "What's the matter?"

Rory fiddled with her hands. "This really isn't easy for me to ask you this, I hate doing this but…I really want to get a job."

"Okay…" Logan said. Of all the things he'd imagined she had wanted to talk about it really was not what he had been expected.

"And I really don't want to do it this way but I've looked and I'm never going to find a job that will offer me the flexibility I need. I'm not in a position to take a full-time job while Ava is little and well I wondered if you might be able to help find me something. Possibly at the Courant, as it's local?" Rory rambled.

Logan smiled "Of course I can help you. What is it that you want specifically?"

"Just a part-time writing gig. It's not really about the money, I just want something to focus my mind on."

Logan nodded. "Leave it with me and I'll get back to you okay."

"Thanks," Rory said looking at the ground.

"Hey. Don't be embarrassed" Logan said as he put his arm around her shoulder.

Rory froze to the spot at his touch and turned her head to look at him, meeting his eyes with her own. "Thanks, Logan".

* * *

The next day, as promised, Logan called Rory. He'd absolutely delivered on the job front for her just as she'd always known he would. There were some things he was pretty good at and generally keeping his promises was one of them. Logan explained all about a position that was available as a features writer. They had originally wanted someone full time but he knew that he could swing it for her.

"What's the point of being in charge if I can't pull a few strings for my family?" Logan asked.

"Well technically, I'm not family…" Rory smiled.

"Technically no, but I'm always going to consider you to be part of my family Ace, you know that," he said as he nudged her gently with his elbow.

Rory felt her heart hurt a little but she tried to ignore it. "Like that annoying kid sister you can't shake off?"

"Not quite what I was thinking…" Logan laughed. It wasn't what he was thinking at all but it was probably best not to talk about that. "So, all you've got to do now is call this guy," he said as he handed Rory a business card. "He's the editor-in-chief and he'll let you know what you need to do. Make sure you tell him I sent you."

"Does he know…" Rory paused.

"Does he know?" Logan prompted. "What?"

"That I…we…." she said awkwardly.

"Yes he knows all about Ava," Logan said gently.

Rory breathed out a little. "Ok, I just want to make sure everything is transparent from the start."

"Rory, it's all good, you deserve this job. You were the editor of the Yale Daily News which is a pretty strong credential."

"Yeah. I doubt everyone will see it that way though!" she rolled her eyes.

* * *

Rory sat curled up on the sofa on Friday night with a glass of wine talking to her mother on the phone.

"Hey, kiddo. How're things? No hot date tonight?" Lorelai asked.

"Because I normally have on a Friday? No, no hot date" Rory sighed. "I rang to tell you about my new job, well potential new job, it's not all signed, sealed and delivered quite yet."

"Wow. New job? That's exciting. I didn't even know you were looking" Lorelai said.

Rory shrugged. "I wasn't, not really, but then I've just been a little bit bored recently so I thought about getting back into the great old world of work. I'm going to be working at the Hartford Courant part-time."

Lorelai was happy that her daughter appeared to be moving her life forward. She'd always wanted more for her than to just be a wife or mom. "That's great! How did you land that gig?"

"Logan," Rory said honestly.

"Ah, it's good to hear that nepotism is alive and well in the circles of Hartford society!" Lorelai joked "I'm only kidding Ror, if I have learned anything in business it truly is not what you know, it's definitely who you know. You've got to use those connections where you can kid."

"Yeah, but there's also something else…" Rory trailed off.

"There always is…" Lorelai laughed.

"I was kind of hoping that you might take Ava to her dance lesson tomorrow," Rory said nervously.

"Sure, I can. Something come up?" Lorelai asked.

"Not really," Rory said quietly."I just don't want to go."

"You know Rory, I'm going to need a little bit more than that" Lorelai joked.

"Logan is dating Ava's dance teacher" she groaned and closed her eyes waiting for her mother's response.

"He's what?! That boy has some nerve?" Lorelai shook her head.

Rory sighed "Well not really, I guess he's free to date who he likes."

"But the dance teacher, really? I thought he more imagination than that" Lorelai said. "So this is why you don't want to go. Fine, but why are you bothered about this anyway? Has there been something going on between you two?" she asked.

"No, I just find it a little hard to stomach right now that's all and I'm really not ready to come face to face with her yet, that's all."

"Sure, I'll take her," Lorelai said sadly. She knew it wasn't her place to interfere but she was sad that for all the dancing around each other they did, Rory and Logan had never quite found a way back to each other. She had been impressed by how well Logan had stepped into his role as a father, and just how much he cared about the happiness and wellbeing of not just Ava but Rory too, but she had really hoped that by now one or both of them would have seen sense.

* * *

The next day Lorelai stopped by Rory's apartment to collect Ava, who was completely over the moon at spending time with her beloved grandma. Rory felt a bit like she was wimping out by avoiding the dance class and she knew that she couldn't avoid it forever but right now, it just wasn't something she wanted to face. She had been a little hurt, well a lot hurt, that she and Logan had nearly kissed and then only a few days later he had moved on to dating someone else. She had really hoped that she had meant more to him but maybe she had been kidding herself that there was still something between them.

After Ava's dance lesson Lorelai decided to treat her granddaughter to an ice-cream sundae at the café around the corner. She'd only seen Ava's dance teacher briefly to collect her after the class but she could see why Logan might like her and she felt sorry for her daughter once again. Lorelai sat opposite Ava who had picked the biggest most chocolate filled sundae that she could possibly have chosen.

"Ava Victoria Gilmore, are you really going to eat all that?" Lorelai shook her head at her granddaughter.

Ava looked at Lorelai and giggled, "No silly grandma, we're sharing it!"

"Oh goody," Lorelai said digging her spoon into it and pulled out a huge chunk of brownie. "This was a good choice missy," she said as she licked her spoon.

"Look! Daddy!" Ava shrieked.

"Daddy? What? Where?" Lorelai said as she looked around just in time to see Logan walk through the door. She was surprised to see him. He hadn't spotted them but of course, he caught sight of them immediately when Ava called out to him.

"Daddy!" Ava said as she stood up and ran over to him leaving Lorelai sitting at the table.

Logan looked over. "Hey!" he said picking Ava up in his arms "Well this is a nice surprise!" he said as he walked over to the table. "Lorelai" he smiled as he acknowledged her.

Lorelai and Logan maintained a civil relationship. For the most part, Lorelai liked Logan. She hadn't been thrilled how the relationship between him and her daughter had ended and she'd been less than thrilled to find out that was Rory was pregnant but he was important to Rory and her granddaughter. Logan in turn always felt a little on edge around Lorelai, like he was always in risk of getting a severe tongue-lashing.

"Hi Logan" Lorelai smiled up at him.

"Daddy sit down!" Ava ordered. Logan looked at Lorelai to check it was okay.

"Sit down, join us" she nodded "We've got more than enough sundae to go around thanks to your daughters over-ordering skills."

"I see that" Logan laughed "She truly is a Gilmore. Where's Rory?" Logan asked. He'd been surprised to see Lorelai with Ava, Rory didn't usually pass up her weekends with Ava.

"Oh…she's erm, just feeling a little under the weather so I said I'd take Ava to dance this morning," Lorelai said, "And we had a great time didn't we munchkin," she said to Ava.

"I hope she's alright? She seemed okay yesterday?" Logan said concerned.

"Probably just coming down with something, I doubt it's anything to worry about. Anyhow, gives me a great excuse to spend time with my granddaughter and eat my own weight in ice-cream and hot fudge sauce at the same time" She joked trying to move the conversation away from Rory. "What brings you here anyhow? I didn't think this was your regular haunt."

Logan shifted uncomfortably in his seat "Oh, I'm meeting…someone for a coffee in a little bit" he said as he glanced at his watch. Sarah was due in a couple of minutes and there was potentially about to be a very awkward coming together. He had no idea what Lorelai knew.

"Oh, right," Lorelai said looking at Logan and then to Ava.

She looked across at her granddaughter sitting on her daddy's knee and her protective instincts kicked in. There was no way on earth Rory would want Ava joining in on a coffee date with Logan and his lady of the moment, even if Ava did already know her.

"Well I think we ought to get going," Lorelai said as she stood up and gave Logan a knowing look. "Come on Ava, we need to go home to mommy, she'll be wondering where we are. Can you get your jacket on for me?"

Ava jumped up off Logan's lap.

"You don't have to leave on my account?" Logan said to Lorelai.

"I need to get your daughter out of here," she said out of earshot of Ava.

Logan looked at her confused.

"Come on Logan, wise up. If Rory finds out that Ava joined you on your date she'll be pissed at the both of us. It is a date right? I mean it's not a business meeting?" she said and Logan nodded a little "I thought so. Ava honey, say goodbye to daddy." Ava gave Logan a big hug and a kiss and Lorelai took her by the hand. "Bye Logan," she said.

Logan watched as Lorelai and Ava walked out of the café and down the street. He'd been slightly surprised by her extreme reaction but then he quickly realized that he'd probably feel the same way if it was Rory on a date. The thought of Ava and Rory playing happy families with another man didn't exactly thrill him.

As he waited for Sarah to arrive, his mind drifted as he wondered exactly how he would feel if Rory did start up a relationship with someone – it was surely inevitable at some point. He'd never known her to date in the past few years, but of course, that didn't mean she hadn't, he didn't know everything about her life.

The thought made him shudder. He hated the thought of Rory dating, he couldn't stand the thought of somebody else's hands on her body, touching her and giving her pleasure in the way he had done so many times in the past.

He couldn't help but wonder if she felt the same way about him.


	7. Changes

Later that week Rory got herself ready to go and meet with Ed Hunter, the editor-in-chief at the Hartford Courant, about the position that Logan had lined up for her. When she got there Ed, who was a fatherly man in his mid-fifties welcomed her warmly. She suspected that was partly in fact because of the circumstances in which she came to be there but he was also a genuinely nice man and she warmed to him immediately. After all the formalities were dealt with, they sat and had a casual chat over a coffee to get to know each other a little better.

"I don't want to get all personal but, I have to ask…you and Logan…" Ed trailed off.

Rory knew she was going to get questions like this. "It's fine. We're not together, he's not my… I mean he was once but that was back when we were at college…" she rambled and figured she should just cut to the chase. "We have a daughter, Ava, she's three."

Ed nodded. "Logan mentioned that you and he had a daughter."

"I hope this doesn't make things weird, I really don't want to be treated any different to any other employee. I don't really have any sort of relationship with the Huntzbergers, other than Logan that is. I mean, obviously, I already have been treated differently by Logan as he's helped me to get this job but the main reason I am here is that I just really love writing and I want to work and I just couldn't find anything." Rory stopped to take a breath, fully aware that she was rambling once again.

"It must be pretty hard being a single mom" Ed acknowledged.

Rory was a little taken aback by his comment although she knew that he meant nothing by it. It was just that she had never really considered herself to be a 'single mom' but yes, to all intent and purposes, when it came down to it, that's exactly what she was. She supposed that she'd always had in the back of her mind that one day Logan would more than likely meet someone, marry, settle down and have more children and she fully expected that when that time arrived, her and Ava would drop way down the list of priorities – and that would be when she'd really find out what it was to be solely responsible for their child.

"Yeah, it is hard sometimes" she nodded "and I am really grateful to both you and Logan for giving me the chance here."

"You don't have to worry about anything Rory – Logan shared some of your work when he came in to see me. He waxed lyrical about your writing so I know you're here on your own merit and not purely because of who you know." Ed said kindly.

"Thanks" Rory smiled.

Ed returned the smile. "So how soon can you start?"

"When do you want me?" Rory asked.

* * *

Rory walked out of the newspaper offices with a newfound spring in her step. She was really excited about starting her new job and she really liked the editor-in-chief Ed which was a great start. Ed had been more than reasonable and agreed to let her work around Ava and build up her hours slowly while she was finding her feet and regaining her confidence in the workplace.

However, the conversation about being a single mom still played heavily on her mind. She'd always had a few deep-rooted fears but she'd been thinking things over more and more and she wondered whether she should talk to Logan about it. She almost felt like she needed more certainty, a guarantee that Logan would remain part of Ava's life, come what may. She sat on a nearby bench and pulled out her cell phone.

"Hey kiddo, how did the meeting go?" Lorelai said when she answered her cell phone.

"Good, it was really good. I'm going to be starting next week, I can't wait to get stuck in." Rory said. "it's going to be great to be writing again."

"Aw I'm so pleased for you, I think this will be really good for you," Lorelai said.

"Yeah," Rory said quietly.

Lorelai could sense there was something more on her daughter's mind. "What's the matter, Rory? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, well no. I kind of wanted to run something past you" Rory said.

"Okay, go for it."

"I was wondering whether it might be the time to put a proper agreement in place, with Logan." Rory waited for her mother to speak.

"Like for custody of Ava?" Lorelai asked.

"I guess."

"Wow, that's quite a big step kid and a serious one at that. Where is this coming from? I mean, Logan has always been pretty reliable hasn't he? What is it that you are worried about?" Lorelai asked.

"Nothing immediately, it's just been playing on my mind a little and well, I want to protect Ava," Rory said.

"From…?" Lorelai was surprised at hearing this from Rory. She had always been dead set against getting lawyers involved, maintaining that she and Logan would never need that. Clearly, Logan dating again had shaken her up a little.

"In the future, if Logan gets married and has more children, then there's a risk that Ava won't be a priority for him anymore. I don't want that to happen, she needs to have stability in her life" Rory reasoned.

"Rory, I've never been his biggest fan but even I know that Logan loves that girl more than life itself! He's never not going to want to be in her life." Lorelai said. She felt a little sad that her daughter was clearly feeling so conflicted.

"Right now he does…but when something changes in his life…" Rory trailed off.

Lorelai sighed. "I think if it's something you're really worried about, then you should discuss it with Logan before you make any big decisions. "

* * *

Later that week Logan came around for dinner with Rory and Ava. Rory had toyed with the idea of talking to him about the future but she got a little scared of how he might react and she decided not to bring it up until she'd made a firm decision about how she was going to proceed.

"How did your meeting go at the Courant?" Logan asked as they finished off their meal.

"Oh it went really well, Ed is great. I think we're going to get on just fine." Rory smiled "I'm going to be starting next week, thanks for your help Logan."

"No problem. Where is Ava going while you work?" he asked.

"Well, I've agreed with Ed that I'm going to build my hours slowly so right now, while I get into the swing of it, I'm going to work around Ava and then soon she'll be in school."

"That's great, sounds like it could all work out really well for you," Logan said. "Actually talking about childcare, I kind of wanted to talk to you about something."

"Oh?" Rory said. She looked at him wondering what was coming next.

"Yeah, I've got a thing coming up soon and it might mean that I'll need to swap weekends around with Ava a little if that's okay?"

Rory paused. "Erm, yeah, okay, just let me know," she said as she got up from the table and took her plate into the kitchen.

Rory stood at the kitchen sink as she looked out of the window. This was exactly what she had been afraid off – Logan wanting to change and upset the routine that they had maintained for years because he was now dating Sarah. It cemented the decision in her mind that she needed to speak to a lawyer about drawing up an agreement.

Logan felt the noticeable shift in atmosphere as Rory left the room. He smiled reassuringly at Ava. "Why don't you go put the TV on for a bit sweetie while I talk to mommy."

"Can we watch The Little Mermaid?" Ava beamed up at her daddy.

"Anything you want. I'll be right with you in a minute" he said as he followed Rory into the kitchen.

"Is everything okay Rory, you seem a little off?" he asked as he helped her to clear the plate plates.

"What?" Rory looked at him.

"Just now…at the table?" Logan said, "Is something the matter?"

"Oh, I'm fine I've just got a few things on my mind that's all," she said as she rubbed her hand across her forehead.

Logan looked at Rory, noticing she looked a little stressed. "Anything I can help you with at all?"

"You don't have to try and help me with everything all the time Logan" she snapped "I'm not your responsibility."

Logan was a little stunned by her tone. She didn't normally snap at him like that. "I didn't mean it like that Rory…seriously, what's the matter?"

Rory shook her head. "It's nothing, I'm sorry Logan, I'm just really tired," she said. "Shall we go watch the film with Ava?" he said as she put the tea towel she was holding down on the counter.

They all sat together and watched Ava's film choice in the living room of Rory's apartment. Once it was over Logan said his goodbyes to Ava as it was way past her bedtime and she was struggling to keep her eyes open. He knew that something was up with Rory but he decided not to push her on it anymore. She would eventually let him know what was wrong when she was ready, she always did.

* * *

"Hey kiddo, you are looking good," Christopher said to his daughter as she walked towards where he was sitting waiting for on a park bench.

"Hey Dad, thanks for coming," Rory said as she greeted her father with a kiss. "It's good to see you,"

"No problem, it's actually nice to get out of Boston for a bit and GiGi is always happy to see her niece"

"That never stops being weird," Rory said as they looked at GiGi and Ava playing in the park.

"I was a little surprised to get your message?" Christopher said. "It's been quite a while since I heard from you."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that, things have been a bit hectic recently but I could kind of use your help with something if you don't mind?" Rory looked at her father nervously.

"Sure" Christopher nodded.

"I need a lawyer and ergo, I will also need money for said lawyer. You know lawyers and I was also hoping that you might be able to loan me the money?"

"What's going on Rory? Are you in some sort of trouble?" he looked at his daughter concerned.

Rory laughed a little. "The last bank heist didn't go so well" she joked. "No, nothing like that. It's just..I want to get a proper custody agreement drawn up."

"Things not working out with Logan kid?" Christopher had always liked Logan and he had liked him even more after he had taken responsibility for his ex-girlfriend and their child.

"No, things are fine at the moment I'm just, I don't really know what to call it. Future-proofing maybe?"

"Future-proofing" Christopher repeated.

"Yeah, something like that." Rory smiled.

"Well sure, I can get you a lawyer, I'll send you the details this week, and of course, I'll pick up the bill, you don't need to worry about that."

"Thanks, dad," Rory said.

Christopher and Rory sat and watched the girls play together in the park for a little while before it was time for them to say goodbye and Christopher and GiGi needed to head back to Boston.

"I'll be in touch this week Ror"

"Thanks, dad," Rory said as she hugged her father. "Dad?"

"Yes, kiddo?" Christopher said as he looked at his daughter.

Rory bit her lip nervously. "Do you think this is a bad idea? I'm not sure how Logan is going to react to this."

Christopher smiled at his daughter empathetically. "Do you know what Ror? I don't think it's a bad idea" he shrugged. "Maybe if we'd had something binding in place I wouldn't have missed out on so much with you kiddo."


	8. Complicated

The following week, Emily popped over unexpectedly to take Ava out for ice cream and so Rory decided to make the most of her unexpected free time to get busy cleaning and tidying the apartment. She was just juggling a pile of Ava's toys when she heard a knock at the door. Figuring it was probably Emily and Ava coming back for something, she walked over to door and pulled it open.

"Oh, Logan, I wasn't expecting it to be you," she said as she put the toys on the floor and self-consciously pulled her hair back into a ponytail. She realized that she probably looked a complete and utter mess. "Ava isn't here right now, she's out with my grandma getting ice-cream."

Logan smiled "That's okay, I actually came to see you."

"Oh. Okay, you had better come in then" Rory said. "Sorry, the place is a bit of a mess, I'm having a good clear out" she apologized for the piles of clutter that were lying around the living room.

"Don't worry about it. I won't take up too much of your time anyhow." Logan said as he followed Rory into the living room.

"It's fine, you're only really keeping me from the vacuuming and that's a welcome distraction" Rory joked "Why don't you sit down," she said gesturing to the sofa.

Logan took a seat on the edge of the sofa. If Rory didn't know better, she would have said that he was a bit nervous but that was silly, Logan never got nervous, he exuded confidence at all times.

"You know how I mentioned last week that I might need to switch things around a bit with Ava…" Logan paused.

Rory bristled at the memory of the conversation; it had put her in an awful mood that day. "Yeah," she said.

"Well, I wanted to know if it would be okay to switch weekends as it's my dad's birthday and they're having this big thing at the house…I know they'd like Ava to be there." Logan rolled his eyes.

"Oh," Rory said as she relaxed a little, it wasn't what she was expecting him to say at all, she'd been half-expecting him just to cancel on her completely and she felt a little bad for not giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Logan continued "Yeah, I mean I'd ask you to come along with us, but I know there are a million and one things that you'd probably rather do than hang out with my family…root canal surgery for one…"

"Sure, that would be up there along with gouging my own eyes out with a rusty spoon" Rory joked "and extracting my toe nails with pliers."

Logan laughed for a brief moment before he took on a more serious tone. "That's not all though, there was something else I needed to talk to you about."

"Okay," Rory said hesitantly. Now she really didn't like how this was sounding.

"Well, this is a bit more difficult…erm, my girlfriend will be there" Logan said quickly.

"Sarah?" Rory felt her a lump form in her throat. She had never heard Logan call anyone his girlfriend, other than her and it stung a lot.

"Yeah…and well, I just wanted to make sure that you knew that because obviously, Ava will be there and well I guess it's a good time for me to introduce Sarah, even though they know each other…" Logan rambled on nervously.

"Yeah. Wow. Okay, that's fast" Rory said. "I didn't really realize that you two were that serious, I mean that's a really a big thing, you know, for Ava."

Logan nodded. "Well, it's not what I could call serious right now, but I guess it could be in the future…"

"Oh, I see," Rory said not looking up at him.

"So, now you know," Logan said.

Rory nodded. "Now I know"

She looked across at Logan trying to work out exactly how she felt about this news. It was one thing to know that he was dating, quite another for him to be introducing Ava to his girlfriend. She couldn't help but wonder how this was going to change things between them and affect the dynamic they currently enjoyed. When she had him around for dinner with Ava in the future, was she going to have to entertain Sarah as well? She couldn't see that happening anytime before hell froze over which was going to mean a few changes and adjustments to their usual routine.

"Anyway, that was really what I came to talk to you about so I guess I'll be going," Logan said as he stood up and started to make his way out of the apartment.

Rory bit her lip nervously. In that one quick conversation he had just changed things for them and now she was about to do the same. "Actually Logan, can you wait a moment because there's something I want to talk to you about too."

Logan sat back down and looked at Rory.

Rory cleared her throat before speaking. "So, this might come as a bit of a surprise but I went to see a lawyer last week, and I've asked them to draw up a custody agreement."

Logan looked at her incredulously. "I'm sorry, you did what?"

"I spoke to a lawyer about putting a formal arrangement in place," Rory said without looking up at Logan.

"Why?" Logan asked. He could not believe what he was hearing or where this curveball had come from. Why was Rory asking for this now?

"I guess, I've just realized recently that this isn't how our lives are always going be, they're going to change, they are changing already and I need to protect Ava, Logan."

"Protect Ava? From what? Me?!" Logan looked at her aghast.

Rory looked at Logan. "You can't understand it, Logan, as you've not lived through it, but I had a father who flitted in and out of my life. When things changed in his life, when he had a new relationship, for instance, he disappeared out of mine. I don't want that for Ava. In fact, I WON'T have that for Ava."

"This is bullshit Rory and you know it," Logan shouted. Rory flinched at the anger in his voice, though she wasn't entirely surprised by it.

Logan shook his head at her. "You actually believe that one day I am just going to stop caring about my daughter? You really think that little of me?"

"It's not like that" Rory said quietly but Logan continued.

"Do you even have the smallest idea what it has felt like for me over the past few years? When I have to walk out of here, leaving my family behind and I go home to an empty apartment? Not seeing my daughter every day?"

"WE are not your family Logan. Ava is your family, not me and my first priority is always going to be her happiness. I will always put that above everything else." Rory said. Including my own happiness, she thought to herself.

"Rory, I love Ava, you know that. That will never ever change, I will always be here for her. I honestly thought you knew me better than that" he said as she stood up and walked away.

"Logan…wait" Rory called after him.

"I have to get out of here," he said as he left the apartment.

* * *

Following on from their heated conversation, Rory didn't actually speak to Logan for the rest of the week, until he had come to collect Ava for his dad's birthday party, and even then it was perfunctory.

She had really wanted to call him all week but at the same time, she felt that she probably needed to give him a little bit of space to cool down. The fact remained though that he was introducing his family and Ava to his new 'girlfriend' this weekend and that meant that she was in no way going to back down. Rory truly believed what she was doing was for the best for herself and Ava.

Logan had been crushed when Rory told him that she'd been to see a lawyer. He never in a million years thought that they'd ever get to that point – the point where they would need to have a legally binding agreement place dictating when he could see his daughter. He was pissed off at Rory because it felt like she had almost stabbed him in the back and while he understood that maybe she was a bit sensitive about things, he really didn't think he'd done anything to deserve it.

"Just try and think of it from her point of view Logan." Honor said, "You'd just basically told the mother of your child that her baby might be getting a new step-mommy in the future."

"I did not!" he looked at his sister annoyed. "That's not what I said at all."

"Well, you might as well have done! Any woman would feel the same –Rory felt threatened when you said you were introducing another woman to your child, so she's gone all alpha-mom on your sorry ass. I'm sorry Logan but I'd probably do the same, I don't really know what else you were expecting." Honor shrugged.

"I wasn't expecting lawyers to get involved that's for sure" Logan groaned. "This could get really messy, and I don't want that."

"Look at it this way. It's no bad thing really Logan, an agreement will protect both of you in the long term." Honor said as Logan looked at her slightly puzzled. "Think of it like this, when Rory meets somebody and wants to settle down with them, and she will Logan, then Ava will be living with them. In the future, Rory's new partner will be far more ingrained into Ava's daily life than yours but this agreement will mean that your access to your daughter will be maintained, whatever happens. You can choose to see it as a negative or see it as security for yourself."

Logan thought about what his sister was saying. He'd never really even considered the impact on their lives if Rory was to enter into a serious relationship but it was silly of him to think she wouldn't. She was beautiful and intelligent, it was only a matter of time before someone swept her off her feet. The reality of what Honor said, about another man living with his daughter, hit hard and he started to understand a little bit more about why Rory was upset with him because when it came down to it, the thought of her introducing a guy to Ava made me angry.

"So you think I should just accept it?" he said.

Honor nodded "I don't think you have a lot of choice as she's well within her rights to ask for this, but make sure you get terms that you're happy with Logan, it should work for you both." she said as she took a sip of her drink. "I'm really disappointed about all of this," she said sadly.

"What do you mean?" Logan looked at her.

Honor looked at her brother and shook her head. He wasn't stupid, by any stretch of the imagination but sometimes he seemed to just lack common sense. She couldn't for the life of her think why he was insisting on pursuing this relationship with a dance teacher when she knew, and pretty much everyone around them knew that he was still in love with Rory. She had tried on many occasions to make him see that it was something that should be acted on but unfortunately he had inherited the stubborn Huntzberger streak and that coupled with the stubborn Gilmore streak was not a great combo. All she could hope is that the two of them would finally see sense at some point.

Honor shrugged "That you've got to this point – new partners, lawyers, custody agreement…I just always presumed you'd work it all out one day. I always thought you and Rory would be end game that's all"

* * *

A/N: Ooh a bonus chapter for you today because I am on a writing roll right now! Hope you are enjoying the story. A fair bit of angst and drama and probably a bit more to come yet but remember...I am #TeamLogan through and through! Keep the feedback coming, it spurs me on x


	9. One Big Party

The event at the Huntzberger mansion had been in full swing for a few hours and Logan had successfully faced the hurdle of introducing Sarah to his family and friends. Honor had been curt yet friendly enough though she couldn't see for the life of her why he had brought Sarah and not Rory who would always be more like family than whatever flavor of the month was hanging around on Logan's arm.

While Logan felt moderately happy, he still just kind of had the feeling that something was missing. As much as he liked Sarah, something just wasn't right. He was mulling through this thoughts while nursing a glass of scotch on the balcony when Honor came out to look for him.

"Hey," he said as he turned to look at her.

Honor smiled lightly. "Hey Logan, you really need to come and see Ava, she doesn't look very well and she's asking for Rory."

"Where is she?" Logan asked with concern.

"She's with mom right now." Honor said.

Logan went inside to see his daughter. Ava was sitting on a chair next to Shira and was looking more than a little peaky.

"Hey princess, what's the matter," Logan said crouching down to be at her level.

"I don't feel very well daddy," she said quietly.

Logan put his hand on his daughter's head. "No, you do feel a little warm sweetie, let's take your cardigan on, that will help," he said unbuttoning her. "Have you had a drink of water?" he asked.

Ava nodded and started to cry a little. She looked at Logan with her blue eyes –complete carbon copies of her mothers – when Rory flashed those eyes at him they always hit his weak spot and it seemed his daughter had inherited the same power.

"Hey, no tears baby," he said scooping her up in his arms and sitting back down with her on his lap.

"I want my mommy," she said through tiny sobs.

"Logan, do you want me to go call Rory" Honor asked.

"No, it's okay, I better do it, can you just sit with her for a minute?" he asked.

"Sure" Honor said as she lifted Ava off Logan's lap.

Logan stroked his little girls head. "Ava, Aunty Honor is going to sit with you, while I just go call mommy okay?"

* * *

"Hello?" Rory said as she absentmindedly answered the phone. She had been buried deep in a book and hadn't stopped to look at the caller ID.

"Rory, it's me," Logan said.

"Logan? Is everything okay?" Rory was surprised to hear from him as she knew that they should be at the party right now.

"Yeah, well, no. Everything is okay, but I thought I should let you know that Ava is not feeling very well, she's running a fever."

"Oh, she seemed fine earlier. Not to worry, I'll just and come fetch her" Rory said.

"No, you don't need to do that, she'll be fine here," Logan said.

"At a party?" Rory said, "I don't think so."

"She'll be fine Rory, she can go lie down in my old room for a little bit and if she gets worse I'll leave and take her back to my place."

"I'm sure she is fine Logan, but if it's all the same to you, I'd think I'd prefer her to be at home with me," Rory said firmly.

Logan felt irritated. "Rory… I know what I am doing"

Rory sighed "I never said you didn't but I want her here, she's my daughter, I'm coming to get her okay."

"She's OUR daughter Rory" Logan corrected her.

Rory ignored his comment "I'll be in there in about twenty minutes"

* * *

Rory pulled up outside the Huntzberger's mansion and sat in the car for a moment looking at it in all its intimidating glory. She hated coming to the house and avoided it as much as possible. Eventually, she got out of the car and rang the bell. The maid answered and Rory walked into the impressive entrance hall. She remembered how in awe she had been the first time Logan had brought her home. Neither of them had known what they were walking into that night.

 _Flashback_

 _Rory and Logan stepped out of his in front of the imposing house they had just pulled up to. She knew the family had money but this was something else altogether._

 _"_ _Wow!" she said._

 _"_ _Uh, where are my keys? What did I do with my keys?" Logan said searching around his pockets._

 _Rory looked at him with her eyes opened wide "Just your parents live here?" she said staring up at the house._

 _Logan leaned over into the car "Ah, got 'em" he said as he pulled the keys out of the ignition._

 _"_ _Well, I certainly hope the drainage is good," Rory said._

 _Logan looked at her like she was crazy "Excuse me?"_

 _"_ _Because if it's not good and you have pooling somewhere, you may not know it for months" she joked._

 _"_ _I'll be sure to mention that to them" he smiled a little._

 _Rory looked at Logan. He looked nervous and this was not a side of him that she had seen before. He was always so cocky and self-assured "You look nervous."_

 _"_ _Do I? Huh. I'm just not so sure what I got you into" he said as he pushed his hand through his hair._

 _"_ _What do you mean?" she looked at him puzzled._

 _"_ _Well, my family's not going to take my sister's engagement too well. They can be a little vicious when annoyed" Logan warned._

 _"_ _Hey. Relax" she said trying to put him at ease. "You do not have to worry about me at all. Five years of Friday night dinners have prepared me for exactly this moment."_

 _"_ _Really?" he said raising an eyebrow in her direction._

 _Rory nodded. "Remind me to tell you about the time my mom climbed out a second-story window to get away from my grandmother."_

 _"_ _Ah, I will," Logan said as they climbed the steps up to the front door of the house. "Okay, ready?" he asked as he rang the bell._

 _"_ _Ready" Rory confirmed as the door opened and his sister Honor rushed out of the house._

 _"_ _You are late!" Honor said slightly annoyed._

 _"_ _Fifteen minutes." Logan rolled his eyes._

 _Honor pulled a face. "Well, it's awful! A morgue! It's like they already know what I'm going to tell them."_

 _"_ _Well, you have been with Josh for three years now" Logan smiled._

 _Honor threw her hands in the air. "I don't understand it. I called and told them that you were coming because that usually makes Mom happy. And I told her that you were bringing Rory so they'd be on their company behavior, but from the minute Josh and I walked in that door it's been iceberg city! Josh has completely panicked. Shaking."_

 _"_ _Wow. Sorry" Logan said._

 _"_ _Don't be sorry. Just get in here and stop it." Honor said as she marched into the house. Logan sighed as he watched his sister go._

 _"_ _Hm. Remind me to tell you about the time my mother wore a shirt with a rhinestone penis on it and my grandma had her car towed" Rory joked as they entered the entrance hall of the house. "Look at the ceiling!" she gasped._

 _"_ _Come on," Logan said as he grabbed Rory's hand and pulled her through the house._

 _"_ _Have you seen this ceiling?" she asked him. She was in total awe. She'd never been in a house like it._

The Huntzberger house no longer impressed her in the way it once had. Its grandeur had never taken her breath away like it had done the first time she had walked in. She was no longer the shy, nervous young girl she was on that first occasion. The years had given her more confidence and she knew this mansion and all it's trappings were nothing more than a gilded cage for someone like Logan.

As she walked into the entrance hall she immediately spied Logan on the other side of the room standing with Sarah. He wasn't hard to spot, her eyes were always immediately drawn to him and his larger than life charisma and personality filled the room. He looked over towards Rory as if he could sense her presence and their eyes met across the room. Logan excused himself and walked over to greet her.

"Hi," he said awkwardly.

"Where's Ava?" Rory asked. "I'd like to get in and out of here as quick as is humanly possible," She said in hushed tones.

"She's in the lounge with my mother," Logan said "Come on," he said leading the way.

Rory walked over to where Shira was sitting next to Ava.

"Rory dear, what a surprise. What are you doing here?" she asked with a forced smile fixed onto her face.

Even though Rory was not scared of the Huntzbergers in any way, Shira still always managed to make Rory feel about two feet tall. Every time she stood in their house she was reminded of how she was told so bluntly that she just wasn't good enough for their son.

 _Flashback_

 _Rory and Logan were sat around the dinner table awaiting the arrival of his father who was of course still at the office. Honor had decided she could no longer keep in the news and had announced that she and Josh were engaged to be married._

 _"_ _Well, of course, you're going to get married! You've been dating for three years, and I already put a hold on the Japanese Tea Garden for next spring." Shira rolled her eyes and smiled._

 _"_ _Oh. Well, that sounds great, thank you!" Honor said slightly stunned._

 _"_ _So we should celebrate then!" Logan said._

 _"_ _We'll celebrate when we have finished our discussion!" Elias, Logan's grandfather said sternly._

 _Honor looked at him confused. "Which discussion?"_

 _Elias glared at her. "The discussion about unsuitable people marrying into this family."_

 _"_ _What?" Honor said._

 _Shira stood up quickly from the table. "I'll be right back!"_

 _Elias turned to his grandson. "You should know better than this, Logan! I know you like to joke around and tease us, but I always thought at the end of the day, you understood what your responsibilities to this family were!"_

 _Logan stared at his grandfather and called his mother. "Mom, I suggest you come back in here, right now!"_

 _Shira looked in but stayed hovering by the doorway "Logan, you just haven't thought about this. I mean, I'm sure Rory understands. She wants to work. Isn't that right, Rory? Emily's always talking about you wanting to be a reporter and travel around doing this and that. A girl like Rory has no idea what it takes to be in this family, Logan."_

 _"_ _Oh my God" Logan said as he shook his head._

 _Rory couldn't believe what she was hearing. Of all the patronizing and condescending things that had been said about her in the past, this really took the biscuit and she had no option but to sit there and take it._

 _"_ _She wasn't raised that way. She wasn't bred for it. And this isn't at all about her mother, it's just, you come from two totally different worlds." Shira said._

 _"_ _It would never work. Not for you, and certainly not for us." Elias said._

 _Rory could tell Logan was getting annoyed. "Okay, this conversation is going to end right now. I am not going to sit here – " he started to say before he was interrupted by his grandfather._

 _"_ _You are going to be taking over this company! That's what you are going to be doing! And when you do, you are going to need the right kind of person at your side. This isn't college, Logan!" Elias snapped._

 _"_ _And whatever happened to that Fallon girl? I loved her. Do you talk anymore?" Shira asked hopefully._

 _Logan couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was his mother really suggesting he should be dating someone else, right there in front of his girlfriend? He looked across at Rory and felt desperately sorry that he'd ever put her in this position._

 _"_ _No, we don't talk! We never talked, you talked" He shouted._

 _"_ _Oh, what a shame. I just loved her" Shira said wistfully._

 _Logan stood up and turned to Rory "Okay. Let's go."_

 _Shira followed them out and called after them. "Logan. You have to understand. You bring this girl home without any warning at all, and Honor tells us you're calling her your girlfriend! We have to take that seriously. Logan, come back here!"_

It had been an absolutely horrible night but Rory had always been so proud of how Logan hadn't just sat there and taken it and he hadn't used it as an opportunity to run scared and bolt. He could have easily have ended things with her because they were too difficult, but he didn't. It didn't matter to him what his family thought and she had loved him for that.

"It's really nice to see you too, as always," Rory said with a hint of sarcasm. "Logan called me, I've come to take Ava home."

Shira smiled sweetly "We could have managed here quite well Rory, there's no need to take her with you."

"I know" Rory smiled back just as sweetly "But all the same, I'd prefer to have her in her own home."

"Well this is her home too," Shira said wafting her arm around.

"No offence Mrs Huntzberger, but this is not her home and it never will be," Rory said bitingly.

Logan could see that things were getting a little bit tense and Rory was clearly in no mood to mess about or back down so he thought it was best for everyone's safety that he intervene.

"Why don't I help you put her in the car," Logan said quickly as picked up Ava who had drifted off to sleep. "Come on" he whispered to Rory as they walked away from his mother. "Just ignore her."

 _Flashback_

 _"_ _I don't understand!" Rory exclaimed as she followed Logan to pick up her coat._

 _"_ _They're psychotic. What more is there to understand?" he shrugged it off._

 _"_ _But why don't they think I'm good enough?" she asked. She was worried that perhaps Logan would think that too now._

 _"_ _Rory..."_

 _"_ _I mean, I'm a Gilmore! Do they know that? My ancestors came over on the Mayflower!" Rory said as she shook her head._

 _Logan tried to placate her. "Don't try to analyze it, there's no rhyme or reason!"_

 _Rory was on a ranting roll, there was no stopping her. "I had a coming out party! I went to Chilton and Yale, and why are they okay with Josh? I mean, he doesn't even say anything! At least I noticed the Velazquez!"_

 _"_ _Josh isn't marrying the heir to the Huntzberger fortune, you are" Logan sighed._

 _Rory was taken aback completely at the mention of marriage. They had only been dating properly for a few days, that hadn't even crossed her mind. Was it that important to these people that they were thinking that far ahead?_

Logan carried a soundly sleeping Ava through the house and carefully placed her in the back of Rory's car before buckling her in and closing the car door.

"I'm sorry Logan," Rory said quietly.

"What for?" he asked.

"I didn't mean to insinuate that you couldn't take care of Ava, it's just when she's not well I prefer to have her with me, you know?" Rory said as she tried to explain herself a little.

"Yeah, I understand. Besides, she was asking for you, I think she'd probably prefer to be with you right now." Logan said. "Let me know how she is later?"

"Yeah, of course," Rory said as she got in the car. She closed the car door Logan stood and watched her as she drove away and her taillights faded into the distance. He lingered a moment more before going back into the house.

By the time Rory had got home Ava had woken up slightly. She tucked her up in her bed and read her a short story before lying down next to her while the little girl drifted back off into a peaceful sleep. Rory knew that her own sleep was not going to come too easy to her tonight. She had far too many things on her mind and as she lay watching her daughter, she couldn't help but wonder how they'd got into this big old mess.

* * *

 **A/N: This is the first of two chapters that will be coming today, so check back later - I am spoiling you as I am going away for a few days and probably won't get chance to update. Don't worry, there's a lot of angst but the good stuff is coming and I promise to reward your patience! Good things come to those who wait...**


	10. Work It Out

The next morning Steph arrived at Rory's apartment armed with treats and goodies for Ava. Rory had called her friend the night before to tell her a little about what had happened with Logan. Steph walked into the living room and handed over the teddies, sweets and books that she had brought to an excited Ava who was lying on the sofa watching a film. After making sure Ava was comfortable and happy, Rory and Steph went and sat down with a cup of coffee in the kitchen out of earshot.

"So, how are things really Rory?" Steph asked.

"Really? Do you want the honest answer? Things are what I would politely call, an absolute steaming pile of crap." Rory admitted.

Steph smiled at her friend sympathetically. "What? Why?"

"Logan and I…we're just in a really bad place at the moment. We're bickering more than we're not and it's mostly my fault I think. I don't really know how to fix it or make it better." Rory said. "Maybe it can't be fixed" she shrugged.

"Don't be ridiculous, everything can be fixed," Steph said. She cocked her head to one side and looked at her friend "You love him don't you."

"I don't know, it's driving me crazy trying to work out all my feelings," Rory said as Steph raised an eyebrow at her. "Okay, yes, yes I do love him."

"Then dammit Rory, you really need to tell him how you feel. I cannot take much more of this! He's not a mind-reader you know." Steph said as she sipped her coffee.

"What's the point? He's moved on, he's got a girlfriend and he's not interested in me. I mean, if he was, then he's had more than enough opportunity to do something about it don't you think?" Rory said. "And now he's introduced her to his family and they're bound to like her better than me – they like everyone better than me…"

"Ugh, you guys just totally kill me. Do you know, he said practically said the same thing about you, Rory. Can't you see that he's in love with you too? You need to say something, it's not all up to Logan to make the first move here." Steph shook her head.

"I know that but it's really hard," Rory said quietly.

"So, what, you're just going to watch him be with someone else even though what you both really want is to be together? That's crazy." Steph said.

"He's happy with Sarah right now. What if I tell him how I feel and he says he can't do it? Then we risk our friendship even more. No, I'm just going to let things run its course. If it's meant to be, it's meant to be." Rory said as she finished off her drink.

* * *

Rory started her new job at the Hartford Courant on the following Monday morning. By the Thursday she really felt like she was getting into the swing of it and that she could really enjoy working here, but not long after she had sat down at her desk, she heard a voice that made her blood run cold. Logan's father was in the office.

She looked up as she saw him walking through the newsroom and she groaned. Rory knew that her colleagues were well aware that she had some sort of background with the Huntzbergers. They also knew that her daughter was the granddaughter of the great Mitchum Huntzberger, so she was pretty sure all eyes would be on her to see how they interacted together.

Mitchum caught sight of Rory and walked up to her desk. "Rory, what a surprise. I didn't know you were working here now?"

Rory smiled politely at Mitchum "Yes, well I just started this week. Logan set it up for me" she added, wanting to be honest about how she came to be working there.

"I didn't see you at the party at the weekend but I heard you came by to collect Ava. You should have stopped and said hello" Mitchum said.

"I was in a bit of a rush to get her home, and I didn't really want to erm, intrude on your party." Rory smiled.

"How is my granddaughter?" Mitchum asked.

"She's absolutely fine. She's feeling much better now, it was just one of those twenty-four-hour things I think." Rory explained.

Mitchum always managed to make her feel small and generally just incredibly rubbish about herself. She didn't really relish being back in the same office as him again and hoped that he wouldn't be spending too much time there. She still remembered how he had made her feel when she had interned for him.

 _Flashback_

 _"You know, you and I haven't really sat down and talked about the situation, about how you're doing here, and all" Mitchum said as Rory tidied up after their meeting._

 _Rory looked at Mitchum "Well, you've been busy…"_

 _Mitchum nodded. "I've meant to. Offered you the job, took you under my wing. It's part of the deal."_

 _Rory smiled happily, she really wanted to impress Mitchum. "Great! I'd love your feedback."_

 _"Go on and sit," he said. They both took a seat at the table in the conference room._

 _Mitchum looked at Rory before he started talking "I've worked with a lot of young people over the years. Interns, new hires. I've got a pretty good gut sense for people's strengths and weaknesses. Whether they have that certain something to make it in journalism. It's a tough business. Lot of stress._

 _Rory smiled and nodded in agreement "Definitely."_

 _"And I have to tell you. You don't got it" Mitchum said. "Now, guts can be wrong. Mine's been wrong before. But not often."_

 _Rory felt like she had just been hit by a huge blow to the gut. She had really enjoyed her time interning at the Stamford Eagle Gazette and she thought she had been doing pretty well at it. Okay to start with she was a little unsure of what she was meant to be doing but no more than anyone else would be. Hearing Mitchum say that she didn't have what it takes to make it in journalism hurt her massively._

 _"I thought I was doing okay," Rory said quietly, she wasn't really sure what else to say._

 _Mitchum shrugged "I just don't really think that you have the drive to put yourself out there, to be honest. To get a story. To dig. I mean, just now in this meeting, I encouraged everyone to say whatever they wanted. You said nothing."_

 _Rory looked at him a little confused. "I wasn't sure if I should."_

 _"Exactly. I mean, you saw Harry. He jumped right into the fire. You didn't."_

 _"But Harry's not an intern!" Rory said as she looked at Mitchum incredulously._

 _"Doesn't matter" he shook his head._

 _Rory could feel herself getting worked up but there was no way she wanted to cry in front of Mitchum so she tried her hardest to hold it back. "I've always done what's asked of me."_

 _"See, the thing is, in the real world, it's not always good enough to do just what's asked of you," Mitchum said._

 _"But I thought I was in a really good rhythm with everyone here"_

 _Mitchum tried to placate Rory a little. "I'm not saying you're not competent. You're smart. You're terrific at anticipating needs. Actually, you'd make a great assistant."_

 _"Oh," Rory said dejectedly._

 _"I'm sorry. It's not my pleasure to disappoint someone like you. Especially you. What with the extenuating circumstances. But it's healthy. I don't know any other way. I don't B.S."_

 _"I should get back," Rory said as she stood up from the table and headed towards the door._

 _Mitchum stood up. "Hey, listen. I know this is rough, but, uh, I may have just done you a big favor."_

 _Rory looked at him in shock. "Oh. Okay. Thanks" she said._

Rory hated that Mitchum was still able to make her feel so nervous but she smiled enthusiastically as Ed approached her desk.

"Ah Ed, good to see you," Mitchum said. "I was just catching up with Rory here."

"Oh yes, she just started on Monday but is showing some great potential already" Ed smiled at Rory, "I think she's going to be a fantastic asset to the team here."

Rory smiled at Ed gratefully.

"Good, I'm glad to hear it" Mitchum nodded "She's a great writer, I like to think I helped her starting out, she did her first internship for me a few years back…"

Rory had to bite her tongue hard but all she could do was smile politely at Mitchum and Ed and nod her head in agreement.

"Is that right Rory?" Ed asked.

"Yes. I interned for Mr Huntzberger, it was certainly….an experience" she said. "I learned an awful lot".

 _Flashback_

 _Rory paced through the apartment she shared with Logan "Why would the wall street journal print this? Why?"_

 _Logan sighed "It was an interview with my father. If he said it, they get to print it."_

 _"Even if it's a flat-out lie?" Rory groaned._

 _"They don't know that." Logan reasoned._

 _Rory picked up the paper and read the article out loud. "I looked for the best and the brightest, even at the intern level."_

 _"Reading it again, you're just torturing yourself" Logan shook his head as Rory continued._

 _"Ben Cochran at Harvard, he helped me out with my Boston paper, as did Frank Williams. And Rory Gilmore, I gave her her first internship at my Stamford paper, and now she's the editor of the Yale Daily News."_

 _Logan looked at Rory "It's classic Mitchum."_

 _Rory was outraged that Mitchum had said this and it had been published. "How dare he? "I gave her her first internship"?_

 _"This is one of dad's things, Rory, grabbing credit wherever he can, whether it's earned or not." Logan really didn't want Rory to get all worked up over this, it wasn't worth it._

 _She threw the paper down "Everyone in America has read this."_

 _Logan laughed at her. "The Wall Street Journal's readership is high, but it's not quite 300 million."_

 _Rory raised an eyebrow "Well, enough people have read it."_

 _Logan tried to soothe her "Look the beauty of a daily paper, it's in everybody's recycling bin the next morning. This will be forgotten"_

 _"It won't," Rory said firmly. It certainly wouldn't be forgotten by her._

"Well I can't wait to see how you get on here Rory, I'll be looking out for your bylines in the near future," Mitchum said as he carried on through the office.

"Of course" Rory forced a smile.

"Oh and I'm glad to hear Ava is feeling better," he said as he walked away.

* * *

By Friday night Rory was ready to just get into her PJs and watch a movie with a whole heap of junk food so when Steph came a-knocking at the door she half-regretted that she ever even got up to open it.

"So what I thought you needed..." Steph said breezily as she walked into Rory's apartment "is a really good night out."

Rory rolled her eyes "Oh, I don't think so Steph"

Steph stamped her foot. "Oh come on Rory, you have absolutely no excuse. Ava's not here is she?" she asked.

"No, she's with Logan tonight…" Rory said.

"So…? Come on. We're all going out Colin, Finn, Robert, the girls…it's going to be a big blow out, we all need it and we want you to come" she begged.

Rory paused, even though she had planned for a lazy night in, she had to admit that a spontaneous night out did sound rather good. She hadn't been out with the gang in ages and the upside was that she knew she could really let her hair down as Logan wouldn't be there.

"Okay," she agreed.

"Yay," Steph clapped her hands in glee "Now, go get changed and make sure you wear something super hot. You never know, you might meet the man of your dreams tonight…" she pretended to swoon.

"I'm not looking to meet the man of my dreams Steph" Rory rolled her eyes and laughed.

"Okay, well maybe not the man of your dreams, but at the very least you might get laid," Steph said excitedly. "Now, you can't tell me that wouldn't be good, I bet it's been a while" she winked and Rory threw a cushion at her as she walked out of the room.


	11. Green

When Rory and Steph arrived at the bar, the others were already there and the drinks were definitely in free flow. It wasn't too long before they were all laughing and chatting just like their old college days and after a few too many margaritas, Rory was starting to feel more than a little tipsy. She was just standing by the bar and getting herself a refill when a friendly looking guy approached her. He introduced himself as Tom and after they had chatted for a little while, he asked her if she'd like to dance.

Rory looked at him, he was very good looking and there was definitely something very attractive about him. Why not, she thought as she took a sip of her drink. Maybe it was time to be a little more open-minded and a lot more sociable. She figured she had absolutely nothing to lose so she took the hand he offered and let him lead her out onto the dance floor.

"Oh look, Rory's found herself a man" Juliet giggled and the rest of the gang looked up to where Rory was dancing with her new friend.

"I didn't think it would be too long before she scored, man she looks damn hot tonight," Finn said "If Logan wasn't one of my best friends, I reckon I'd have a good crack at her myself" he laughed.

Rory was wearing an incredibly short skirt, which showed off her long slender legs, and the heels she was wearing only accentuated them further. It was totally not her style but she'd had felt like being a little more daring when she was getting ready to go out.

"She is looking pretty fine" Colin agreed "Who knew she had those legs!" he raised an eyebrow.

"I think Logan did" Steph giggled.

Out on the dance floor, Rory was really enjoying herself with Tom – over the next few songs, they flirted and danced close to each other. For the first time in ages, Rory felt like she was able to let loose and act her age – she was still young after all but had been forced to grow up fast and she was enjoying this feeling of being free – she was also enjoying the feeling of being desired. So much so, that when Tom leaned in to kiss her, she decided to throw caution to the wind and let him.

"Oh, my life!" Juliet squealed "Rory is totally making out with that guy over there."

They all turned around to look and sure enough, there was Rory getting pretty hot and heavy at the side of the dance floor with her new-found friend.

They watched as Tom moved in to kiss her and Rory responded keenly by wrapping her arms around his waist as he had rested one hand on the small of her back and the other on her ass. He maneuvered her so she was between the wall and him before leaning down to whisper something in her ear. Whatever it was he had said to her, she obviously liked and she just tilted her head and let him kiss her on the neck. As he did this his hands moved up her body and brushed over her breasts before sliding back down her body. Rory turned her head towards his and they kissed each other more passion than before.

"Wow, just look at them go. I've got to say, Logan was a lucky boy" Finn smirked.

"Oh, I feel really quite awkward watching this" Colin said. "Should we intervene in some way?"

"Why should we intervene!" Steph said. "She's young, free and single. I don't think she needs a babysitter, Colin."

"But…Logan…?" Colin said.

"She's not with him!" Steph rolled her eyes. "Oh she's only letting off steam, those two will work it out together eventually. Let her have some fun. Besides, this is Logan we're talking about, I'm pretty sure he's not just holding hands with his new girlfriend if you know what I mean" she giggled.

"I can't believe you're encouraging this Steph," Finn said.

"Maybe it's just what needs to happen" she shrugged. Ultimately what Steph wanted was her two friends together but she liked to see Rory happy and enjoying herself, and maybe this would be the push or shove that was needed to move her life on in one way or another.

Rory pulled away from Tom for a brief moment, desperately needing to come up for air. Things had really heated up quite quickly and, she could tell that he was enjoying the closeness in which they had been dancing. His hands kept drifting down to her ass and their lips were permanently entwined.

Tom looked at her. "Do you want to go…somewhere else?" he asked tentatively.

Rory paused for a moment. Did she? She really wasn't the type of girl to hook up with random guys in a bar but then she'd never really had much opportunity to do so. Maybe this was what life was all about it. Going out, having fun, being a little bit reckless.

"Sure, wait here. Let me just go tell my friends I'm leaving" She smiled and walked over to where her friends were sitting.

"So, guys, I'm going to go…" she gestured with her head.

Colin and Finn looked at each other with raised eyebrows. This was an altogether different side to Rory, one they had certainly not seen before.

"Ooh, Ror! Good work. He is hot! Go have fun and call me with ALL the details!" Steph demanded. "I want to know everything!"

"I will" Rory smiled. "See you later"

"This is a really bad idea," Colin said shaking his head as he watched Rory walked out of the bar hand-in-hand with the new guy.

* * *

The kissing Rory and Tom had started continued in the back of the cab. As the car headed towards Tom's place, they got closer to each other and he slowly slipped his hand between her legs, rubbing against her dress and her underwear with his palm. Rory couldn't stop her body responding to his touch, despite the voice of logic inside her screaming to stop this from going any further. It had been so long and she was really starting to crave someone's touch. Tom leaned towards Rory and buried his face in her neck, gently biting me as he moved to push her underwear to one side.

All of a sudden Rory caught hold of her senses and pulled away from him. "Oh my god, I am so sorry," she said, "I can't do this" she shook her head.

"What's the matter?" Tom looked at her, slightly disappointed.

"I just can't" she shook her head. "I didn't mean to lead you on it's just…my life is so complicated right now and this, while I suspect it would be very good…just wouldn't be the right thing to do. If I go home with you, I'm only going to be doing it to get back at someone else."

"I don't mind taking one for the team" he winked and she laughed. "Hey, no harm, no foul," he said.

"I'm really sorry," she said again. "Drop me off near my place?" she asked.

When the cab pulled up outside Rory's apartment block she said her goodbyes to Tom and went in and closed the door behind her. Frustrated, she leaned back against the door wondering why she couldn't have just gone through with it. Was she really never going to be able to move on?

* * *

The next morning Logan had arranged to meet his friends for a late breakfast while Ava was at her dancing lesson.

"How are things going with your new lady friend," Colin asked Logan.

"Things are okay," Logan said.

"Just okay?" Colin said with a raised eyebrow. "These are meant to be the halcyon days, you know before things get all serious…"

Logan looked at his friend. "Things have got a bit weird with Rory since I started dating Sarah so I'm just being a bit cautious. I don't know if this thing with Sarah is really going to go anywhere and I am trying not to hurt Rory in any way at the same time."

"Oh, I don't think you need to worry about Rory mate" Finn laughed "She's not sitting at home pining after you, that's for sure."

"What do you mean?" Logan asked.

"Let's just say, she was definitely getting hers last night" Finn smirked.

"You saw Rory?" Logan asked Colin, who looked at Finn and shot him a death glare.

"Er yeah, we all went out last night for a few drinks" he shrugged.

"With Rory?" Logan said surprised.

"Steph's idea, she said Rory needed cheering up," Colin said.

Finn laughed "And boy, did she get cheered up. I bet that's not all she got."

"What are you talking about Finn?" Logan said starting to feel a little annoyed with his friend.

"Nothing," Finn said, he realized Logan was getting a little tetchy.

"Finn…" Logan warned.

"Fine. Okay. She met this dude, they danced, they got a bit hot and heavy and she left early with him. The end." Finn said as he knocked back his coffee.

Logan rubbed his hand through his hair. "Really? Rory left with someone?" He couldn't believe what he was hearing - that was not something that Rory would usually do.

"That's all we know," Colin said holding his hands up in defense.

* * *

After he left the café behind, Logan's head was completely buzzing. If he was understanding his friends correctly, Rory had gone home last night with some random guy she had met in a bar? He wasn't entirely sure why this was bothering him so much but it really was, it was consuming his thoughts. He collected Ava from her lesson and instead of going home to this own place as was the plan, he headed over to Rory's apartment instead.

"Logan, what are you doing here?" Rory said as she opened the door "Hey honey!" she said as Ava wrapped herself around her legs.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" Logan said before bending down to talk to their daughter "Ava sweetie, why don't you go play in your room for a minute, I just need to speak to mommy very quickly. Grown up stuff" he winked.

He waited until he had seen her disappear into her bedroom before he turned back to Rory. "Did you have fun last night?" he asked.

Rory had wondered what Logan was doing on the doorstep of her apartment when she hadn't been expecting him but she immediately realized exactly what he was getting at. She felt irrationally annoyed that he felt he could come her and question her about it. He was clearly jealous but that just wound her up even more. He had no right to be.

"Yes, I did, I had a lot of fun," she said as she walked into the living room.

Logan followed her and scoffed at her reply. "So I heard."

Rory sighed as she turned around to look at him. "Logan, I'm trying very hard right now to work out why you think any of that is your business."

"Of course it's my business when it affects my daughter," Logan said.

"Oh that is pretty rich coming from you" she shot back.

"You think? I haven't brought any random women to my apartment Rory" Logan said.

"And I haven't brought any random men back to my apartment" Rory shrugged. "Not that it has anything to do with you but we got took a cab to his place."

Rory decided that actually, Logan didn't really need to know that it had ended there. Because of the way he was acting, she was more than happy to let him think it went further than it did. Logan seemed to physically recoil at her words.

She laughed and shook her head "What Logan? It's okay for you to date people but I can't?"

"No but…" Logan started to defend himself but Rory jumped in.

"Why do you even care? You're not my boyfriend Logan, you don't get to have a say in what I do or who I sleep with." Rory said.

"So you slept with the guy?" Logan asked.

Rory could feel herself getting annoyed. "Ugh, go home Logan"

"You didn't answer my question" he demanded.

"I don't have to answer your question! That's the beauty of being single, I don't have to answer to anyone! Jeez, Logan. Have you slept with Sarah?" she shouted.

Logan remained quiet and didn't answer the question she had just thrown back at him.

Rory smiled sarcastically "Right, so…can you please tell me exactly what you are doing here and why we are having this fight?"

"I don't know," Logan said quietly as she sat down on the edge of the sofa.

"Look, I think perhaps we're going to be better off just keeping our personal lives that, personal and separate from everything else. We should just be concentrating on Ava. What you do is your business and what I do I is mine" Rory said as she sat down next to him.

Logan turned to look at her. "Are you still pursuing the formal court agreement?"

Rory nodded. "I think it's for the best," she said as she chewed on her lip. "It's for all our benefit."

"But things have been fine Rory," Logan said.

"They have" she agreed "Until now that is…until other people get involved, and then it gets messy. The lines are too blurry. What if one of us gets married or has another baby and something changes?"

Logan looked up at her "Rory…"

Rory shook her head. "If you're fine with everything in there, then I'll get it all finalized. We just need to both agree to the terms and sign it."

"Okay, if that's what you really want," he said, feeling a little defeated. "I'll go get Ava and head back to mine. Drop me the papers when you're ready" he said standing up and not looking at her as he left the room.

* * *

A/N: This is first of two chapters I am planning to publish today - show me some love and I'll get the next one posted up, ha! This was quite angsty but don't worry good things are coming I PROMISE. Keep the faith.

I just wanted to quickly address two questions/comments that I have received. Firstly I was asked where is the rest of Stars Hollow and Rory's friends (Luke, Lane, Paris)... I wanted to keep this story quite Rogan-centric and so have chosen to focus on a few key characters that help to move the story along. Secondly, there was a comment about the flashback scenes and preferring my original writing (thank you!) - these might not be to everyone's taste but they're also on top of anything I write eg rather than taking up space and word count, they're an extra addition to a chapter. I don't foresee many more of these in the future though.

Hope you're still enjoying the story!


	12. Make A Wish

A few uneventful weeks passed by after Rory's big night out. Rory and Logan had managed to find a middle ground recently and they were getting on better. The blow up about their personal lives actually kind of cleared the air in some way, or maybe it was just that it forced them to put some boundaries in place. They'd addressed the difficult conversations around their custody agreement and while Logan still wasn't happy that Rory had felt it was the only way forward for them, ultimately they had both had settled on terms that would suit them. They had made sure that there was enough flexibility built in so that if and when their situations changed in the future, suitable adjustments could be made.

Today, however, was going to be a new challenge for them both. Today was the day of Ava's 4th birthday and friends and family were coming around to Rory's apartment for a birthday party, Logan, of course, would be there, and much to Rory's dismay, Sarah too. She had wanted to protest but after agreeing to keep out of each other's personal lives, she didn't feel like she could really say anything and so she was faced with having to put on a brave face and be welcoming to Logan's girlfriend in her own home which definitely grated on her a little bit.

Knowing this though, Rory had made a special effort when getting ready for the party. She wanted to feel at her absolute very best in front of Logan and his girlfriend. She also wanted him to notice her properly, as Rory, not just as the mother of his child. There was part of her that didn't know why that was and she knew it was kind of wrong to be primping herself for him but she had picked out a new dress that she knew he would love. It was a pale blue lace dress with a silhouette that hugged every curve of her figure. The subtle metallic shimmer of the dress was designed to catch the light and to ensure that all eyes would be on the wearer. As soon as Rory had seen it she knew that it was pretty much perfect and she felt completely awesome in it. She matched it with her nude stiletto pumps and wore her hair down in soft curls. Just as she was finishing her makeup Lorelai walked into the bedroom.

"Whoa, Rory, you are pulling out the big guns huh," she said as she took in her daughter's appearance.

"Do I look alright?" Rory said smoothing her dress down nervously. The party was due to start any moment and she had butterflies doing somersaults in her tummy.

"I'll say! That's a lot of extra effort to go for a 4-year-olds birthday party…" Lorelai said with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, you know I like to look good…" Rory said. "Come on, people will be arriving in a minute."

Sure enough, all their friends and family started to arrive for the party and soon the apartment was filled to the brim. As usual, Ava loved being the center of attention and everyone seemed to be having a really great time. Logan and Sarah had arrived and Rory had tried very hard to keep her cool and remain gracious, however knowing that she looked good was helping her to keep an air of confidence.

Logan watched Rory as she moved around the apartment talking to all the guests. She looked absolutely stunning and he was finding it really hard to keep his eyes off her. It was pretty much all he could do not to go over to where she was standing and grab her when he saw Finn slide his arm around Rory's waist and it was almost too much to bear when he saw Ava jump up and leap into Finn's arms. While he knew there was nothing going on there that he needed to be concerned about - neither Rory nor Finn would ever cross that line - it was a glimpse into what a life with someone else would look like for Rory and Ava, and what it would feel like for him to watch from the sidelines and he didn't like it one little bit. He watched as his daughter ran off happily and Finn and Rory entered into a playful conversation. When Finn leaned in and planted a friendly kiss on Rory's head Logan wondered just what had been said.

"Uncle Finn" Ava said as she jumped up into Finn's arms.

"Hey matey," Finn said. "Are you having a good party?" he asked.

"Yes, it's the best party ever. Mommy is the best." Ava said twiddling her hair "Did you bring me a present Uncle Finn?'

"Ava" Rory gasped "That's so rude!"

"It's over there, on that table" he laughed as Ava jumped down. He turned back to Rory. "You know you look absolutely gorgeous Ror, your ass in that dress…mmmmmm" Finn said as he leaned back to get a better look.

"Finn!" Rory playfully slapped him.

"You can't blame a man! I take it it's not all for my benefit then…" Finn smiled.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Rory said trying to play innocent.

"Sure you don't," Finn said as he kissed her on the top of her head.

Rory looked over to where Logan and Sarah were stood talking to one of the other guests. While she was doing quite a good job of braving it on the outside, inside she was finding it rather hard to deal with. While everyone was preoccupied with drinks and food, she slipped off to her bedroom to take a quick breather.

She sat on the edge of her bed for a moment, taking some deep breaths, before she relaxed for a moment and lay back staring at the ceiling wondering how on earth her life had come to this. None of this was in her plan. Rory lay there with her eyes closed for a few more minutes before she heard the door open. She looked over and saw Logan and sat up quickly.

"Sorry,…your mom was looking for you, it's time to blow out the candles soon…Are you okay Rory?" he said as he came into the room and shut the door behind him.

"Yeah," she said as she brushed away a tear that had escaped. "I'm fine"

"No you're not," Logan said as he sat down on the bed next to her. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, I'm fine, honestly, I just needed a moment," she said. Her breath hitched as Logan reached up to wipe away another stray tear from her cheek and she lifted her eyes to look at him.

"Okay," Logan nodded. He didn't pretend to know what was going on in her head right now but he knew her well enough to know that she didn't want to talk about it. "Do you want me to go?" he asked her gently.

Rory shook her head. "No. Stay for a minute" she said.

Logan looked at Rory, surprised that she had actually asked him to stay with her. Their relationship recently had been fractious, to say the least, and this felt like the closest they had been to being themselves in such a long time.

"You know Ace, you look incredible in that dress" Logan smiled at her.

"Thanks" Rory blushed.

"I always did like you in blue," he said as he slid his arm around her waist.

"Logan…" Rory started as she turned to face him but she paused whatever it was she was going to say as Logan leaned in towards her and she breathed in his intoxicating scent.

"Ssh," he said as his lips brushed gently against her.

The lightest touch sent shivers up and down her body. "Logan…I…we…" Rory was unable to form a comprehensible sentence so she gave up trying.

"If you want me to stop…" he whispered.

She shook her head. "Kiss me," she said breathlessly as she pressed her lips back against his.

Before they knew it, they were kissing each other like crazy. Logan's tongue slipped into her mouth, and what started out gentle became more demanding. Rory gripped his hair with her fingers, pulling him closer and harder against her as he moved his hands to her back and unzipped her dress a little to gain access to her skin.

Logan groaned softly, low in his throat as he pushed her backwards on the bed, his hands roaming over her body and under her clothes as he lay kisses on her neck and she arched her back in pleasure.

All Rory could think about was how good his hands and body felt pressing on hers. She wanted him to be much much closer and he must have sensed it as suddenly he was kissing her harder and deeper with an urgent need that neither of them had known before. They were far too caught up in the moment to hear the door to the bedroom open.

"Oh my God!" they heard a voice shout.

Rory and Logan jumped apart quickly and sat up.

"I'm sorry, my bad, I appear to have just opened the door to the past!" Lorelai said exasperatedly.

"Mom!" Rory grimaced.

"Seriously you guys? If you're going to make out at a kids party, at least lock the door!" Lorelai shook her head. "People are waiting for you out here Rory," she said as walked out and closed the door behind her.

Rory dropped her head and groaned. "We had better…" she gestured towards the door.

"Yeah" Logan smiled. "It's been quite a while since we've been caught like that huh?"

Rory returned the smile and ran her fingers through her hair before she walked over to the bedroom door.

"Oh hold on," Logan said as he walked up behind her and zipped her dress back up. "There"

"Whoops, thanks" Rory smiled "Now that would have been embarrassing."

"Rory…" Logan said as he caught hold of her hand.

"Come on…Ava is waiting for her cake" she said as she opened the door.

Rory and Logan headed back out into the party to sort out Ava's birthday cake. Fortunately, nobody seemed to really notice that they had been missing for a little while or that Rory's cheeks were flushed and her hair wasn't quite as neat as it was before.

Ava stood proudly behind her cake to blow out her four candles.

"Don't forget to make a wish Ava?" Logan said as he looked at Rory who was stood on the other side of their daughter. Rory smiled at him.

Ava blew out her candles and everybody clamored to take a photo of the birthday girl with the amazing Princess castle cake that Rory had asked Sookie to make for her.

"How about a photo of just the three of you" Emily smiled "That would just be perfect for the family album" she gushed. Emily was still holding on to hope that Rory and Logan would reconcile one day.

"Oh yeah, of course," Rory said "That's if you don't mind Logan?" she asked.

"Not at all," he said as he moved in closer to her and laid his hand gently on the small of her back and lightly traced circles with his thumb.

Rory bit on her lip at the touch of his hand on her, she was still tingling from their recent encounter and being in such close proximity right now was killing her.

"Oh that's just perfect" Emily smiled. "That's definitely a keeper," she said as she looked at the display of her digital camera.

Logan looked at Rory and she turned to look back at him. Something unspoken passed between them – it was something far too small to be picked up by anyone else in the room – unless you were in the know of course, like Lorelai who watched the silent exchange with interest.

Rory picked up the birthday cake and took it into the kitchen to slice it up for the guests. She was busy cutting through it when Finn walked into the kitchen to talk to her.

"That was a nice family portrait love" he smirked and Rory rolled her eyes "So where did you and Logan disappear off to?"

"Huh?" Rory looked at Finn, she was playing it cool and trying to pretend she didn't know what he was talking about.

"Earlier, Lorelai was looking for both of you…" Finn said. "I wondered where you had gone."

"Oh, we were just..erm…Logan was…helping me to erm, find something." she said quickly.

"Oh yeah?" Finn raised an eyebrow. "And did Logan manage to find what you were looking for?" he laughed.

Rory rolled her eyes at him. "Here," she said as she thrust a tray full of cake at him "Go make yourself useful and hand that out".

Finn laughed as he walked out of the room.

After the cake had been shared out and enjoyed by all, it was finally time for goodbyes. Soon there were only a handful of people left and Rory had started the cleaning up process. She was busying herself in the kitchen, clearing around cups and glasses, lost in her own thoughts when a voice interrupted her.

"Rory, do you need a hand clearing up or…"

She looked up to see Logan and Sarah standing by the kitchen door. "Oh, no, it's fine, I've got it all under control" She smiled as sincerely as possible. " You guys can go".

"Okay, well okay, we'll head off then. Bye Rory. I'll speak to you tomorrow?" Logan said.

"Sure" she nodded and smiled.


	13. Talking It Over

After all the final guests had left her apartment, Rory was busy tidying up and wiping down the kitchen surfaces when Lorelai walked into the kitchen and looked at her.

"What the hell was that all about Rory?" Lorelai said standing glaring at her daughter with one hand on her hip.

Rory stopped what she was doing and closed her eyes tightly. She had known that this confrontation was coming but she still wasn't ready to get into an argument with her mom about it.

"Where's Ava?" she turned to her mom and asked.

"She's playing in the living room," Lorelai said as she leaned against the kitchen counter.

"Okay," Rory said.

"So?" Lorelai questioned.

"It was nothing…it was just ... we were talking and things got a little bit out of hand" Rory said brushing her hair out of her face self-consciously.

"Damn right it got out of hand! His girlfriend was right outside the room Rory! Not to mention a room full of your friends and family. You were lucky it was me that walked in" Lorelai shook her head. "Although that image is going to be firmly burned into my retinas for all time."

"Nothing happened, we were just kissing." Rory sighed.

"You were practically having sex on the bed Rory," Lorelai said.

"You're overreacting, we weren't going to have sex…" Rory said.

"Rory you can't just play these games. Someone is going to get hurt! And I'm afraid, with Logan's track record it's going to be you. Or even worse, it will be Ava. Don't forget about your daughter in all of this" Lorelai said.

"Of course I won't!" Rory snapped. She felt irritated by her mom, who had seemingly forgotten all the times she herself had got into messy situations with Rory's dad Christopher. "Look you clearly don't understand and I don't expect you to…"

Lorelai scoffed at her daughter's words. "Oh, I understand pretty well Rory. I've been where you are and it didn't end well, believe me."

"Ugh, mom! I am not you. Logan is not dad! Look can we just drop this subject?"

"Fine" Lorelai put her hands up. "I've got to get going anyway. I'll go and say goodbye to Ava".

Rory leaned back against the counter. Her head was buzzing and she really needed to talk to this all over with someone. She picked up her phone and sent a message to Steph asking her to come over as soon as she could.

* * *

"Hey, Ror, I'm really sorry I couldn't make the party – I couldn't get away from work at all. Where's the birthday girl?" Steph said looking around the apartment.

"Hopefully fast asleep, she was worn out." Rory said "and I need some girl time. Wine?" she said as she poured herself a large glass.

"Fill me up!" Steph said holding out an empty glass. "What's the matter? How did the party go today what with Logan here and all?" she asked.

"Well, that's what I need to talk to you about," Rory said.

"Oh?" Steph said slightly intrigued.

"So, everything was going okay, it was all very civil but I got a little overwhelmed and I just needed a little moment to myself, then Logan came to find me and…well, there's no good way to say this…we kind of made out." Rory said covering her mouth with her hands as soon as she said it.

"Today? At your daughters 4th birthday party? You absolute deviants." Steph said gleefully. "Well, that is definitely a development I wasn't expecting!"

Rory rolled her eyes at her friend.

"So, you made out. On what sort of scale? How hot and heavy are we talking?" Steph said – she needed the details. "Was it hot? Like 'why am I even wearing clothes right now!' hot?"

"Hot and heavy enough" Rory grimaced. "Let's just say if my mom hadn't walked in and interrupted us…"

Steph laughed out loud. "Oh! I bet your mom took that well!"

"Yeah, not so much…she wasn't really that impressed that we were – in her words – 'practically having sex on the bed' while his girlfriend was outside the room."

"I can see why she might not be thrilled to be fair" Steph laughed "So what are you going to do about it? I mean, what happened after?"

"Nothing, we had to go back out to the party and pretend like he hadn't had to zip me back into the dress he'd just unzipped me out of…"

"You were seriously going to have sex with him at your daughters birthday party? I'm impressed."

"No! I mean, that wasn't the intention. I don't think it would have got that far." Rory shrugged "Although we've done it in worse places…"

Steph smirked at her friend. "I bet! You two used to be like rabbits back in the day."

Rory playfully slapped her friend. "Ugh, what am I going to do? He's got a girlfriend Steph."

"Oh, girlfriend schmirlfriend. If he was that into her he wouldn't have been trying to get into your pants – and by the sounds of it, almost succeeding in that endeavor…" Steph giggled.

"I guess I'm going to have to talk to him about it." Rory sighed.

"Well it's not like you can really avoid him, well not for long anyhow" Steph pointed out.

"You know, avoidance seems like a great idea but you're totally right. Ugh!"

* * *

The following evening Rory was just settling down to watch some trash TV when her cell phone rang. She picked it up and looked at the caller ID. Logan. She paused momentarily, debating whether she should answer the call or not. She still wasn't entirely sure what she was going to say to him.

Logan had toyed with calling Rory all day but he was only getting the opportunity that night. It had been difficult for several reasons – one main one being that he was spending the day with Sarah, which had proved pretty hard seeing as all he could think about was Rory.

He'd wished he'd spoken to her properly the night before to find out where she stood. He was worried that she might think he was avoiding her but he wasn't, not at all. He needed to know what it was that she wanted? Did she want a relationship with him?

"Hi," Rory said quietly as she answered the call.

"Hi," Logan said, "I almost thought you weren't going to pick up then."

"I almost wasn't" Rory admitted.

"I'm sorry I've not called before now, it's been kind of tricky today," Logan said.

"It's fine," Rory said.

Logan took a deep breath. "I figured we should probably talk about what happened…or should I say, almost happened."

"Yeah,…we probably should. I'm really sorry Logan, I honestly don't know what happened, I guess I was just feeling a bit emotional and…I'm sorry," she said again.

"You never need to apologize for kissing me Ace, you know that" he joked a little to break the ice.

Rory winced. She found it so hard when he called her by his pet name for her. It was definitely her weak spot.

"Well, I kind of do have to apologize when you have a girlfriend that was stood in the other room. It wasn't exactly appropriate" she said.

"I don't think you were the only one to blame for that" Logan said with a smile.

"No maybe not" she laughed a little.

Logan paused before throwing a question her way. "Do you regret it?"

Rory inhaled sharply before answering. "Look, I don't want to be that girl Logan. I've been there and done that and it felt awful. I've been the cheater and I've been cheated on, both really suck."

"You didn't answer my question…" he said.

Rory bit her lip. "No, I guess I don't regret it."

Logan breathed out a silent sigh of relief. He wasn't entirely sure what was going to happen between him and Rory but he had known that hearing her saying once again that it was a mistake or she regretted it would have crushed him. He wanted to know that on some level she felt something for him.

"But that doesn't make it right in any way shape or form," Rory said, "And my mom is SO mad at me right now."

"She'll come round, she always does" Logan tried to reason.

"Yeah, she will" Rory agreed.

"So…" Logan asked.

"So?"

Logan knew he was going to have to ask the inevitable. "Where do we go from here?"

"I honestly don't know" Rory paused. "I mean it's complicated and you have a girlfriend…"

"That's a minor point in the grand scheme of things," Logan said.

Rory laughed. "You can't call having a girlfriend a minor point, Logan!"

"Rory…"

"Logan, look, I'm not saying this to put any distance between us or anything, I'm not running away and I'm definitely not saying that yesterday was a mistake…it's just that…for once I think that maybe I know what I want, but I really need to get my head straight on a few things." Rory said.

"And in the meantime?" Logan said feeling slightly frustrated. "Where does this leave us? Do you want me to end things, with Sarah?" he asked tentatively.

Rory took a deep breath. "I can't tell you what do, you know that, but please don't make any decisions solely based on me…I mean, of course, I guess I'd like you to factor me in a little but this should be about what you want." Rory rambled. "Does any of that make sense at all?"

"I know exactly what I want," Logan said.

"Oh yeah?" Rory asked.

Logan could hear the smile in her voice and felt a little buoyed by that, he took it as a good sign.

"Just give me a little time Logan. Yesterday…well that wasn't what I really expected to happen. It was a bit of a curveball if I am honest."

"Okay. Well, I'll see you Wednesday won't I when I come to collect Ava. So. business as usual?" Logan said. If time was all she needed then he could wait a little longer.

"Thanks," Rory said quietly. "I appreciate it."

* * *

Later on, in the week, Rory asked Lorelai to come over for the evening. It was Logan's night to have Ava and he swung by to collect her just before dinnertime. He was surprised when Lorelai answered the door.

"Logan! It's so nice to see you again. Especially as this time you don't have your hand up my daughters dress" Lorelai said with a smile.

Logan wasn't quite sure what to say and was just about to open his mouth to answer her when Rory came up behind Lorelai.

"Mom!" she yelled "Ignore her Logan, come in. Ava is nearly ready" she said as she shot her mom a look.

"What did I do?" Lorelai said with a smirk.

"Can you just go in the kitchen and sort the food?" Rory said with a sigh.

"Sorry…ignore my mother" Rory said as she smiled at Logan.

"She's less angry with you now?" he asked.

"Oh yes, she's moved into the mercilessly teasing phase now which is all the more delightful. She could run with this for a really long time…" Rory groaned.

"Unlucky" Logan smirked as Ava ran into the room.

"Daddy, daddy!" Ava said as she ran and grabbed hold of Logan's hand. "Did you know it's only THIS many days until Santa comes!" she said holding out a number of fingers.

"Seven? Really? Wow!" Logan said as he picked up his little girl. "And have you been good?"

Ava stuck her thumb in her mouth and nodded.

"What does mommy say?" Logan turned to ask Rory.

"Hmm, well she didn't pick up her books yesterday when I asked…but I think generally there's a good chance she'll make it on the nice list." Rory said tickling Ava who squealed and wiggled in her daddy's arms.

"Well, that's lucky because this weekend you're staying with me and I have planned a very special day out for you on Saturday."

"Just for me!" she squealed with eyes open wide.

"Just for you," he said as he kissed her. "Though…I was kind of hoping if you didn't mind that is, that maybe mommy might agree to join us too" he looked over at Rory who smiled at him, slightly intrigued.

"I know it's your weekend off duty…but how about it?" Logan asked her.

"Do I get to know what we're doing?" Rory asked.

"Absolutely not" he smirked.

"Pleeeeeeeease mommy!" Ava begged.

"I had better not regret this Huntzberger" she laughed.

"You won't " He leaned in and gave Rory the briefest of kisses on her cheek. She felt a blush creeping up her cheeks and self-consciously fiddled with hair.

* * *

After Logan and Ava had left for the night, Lorelai and Rory finally got the chance to sit down and talk properly.

"Fill me in then," Lorelai said as she picked up a handful of candy from the bowl in front of her. "Obviously I got the special R-rated adults only preview, so those details, I do NOT need to know…"

"There's not a whole lot more to it right now. I'm just trying to work things out in my head." Rory admitted.

"Good luck with that, but seriously kiddo…what's there to work out. He seems like he's trying hard, you know, aside from the whole having a girlfriend thing" Lorelai pulled a face.

"I know, and he is, and yeah, the girlfriend thing is a stumbling block I admit, though I kind of get the feeling he's just waiting for me to say the word," Rory said.

"So, say it" Lorelai shrugged.

"It's not that simple. My head and heart are being pulled in two totally different directions. Actually, it feels more like they are in some kind of medieval stretching rack right now" Rory joked.

"What is your head saying?" Lorelai asked.

"My head is saying, don't complicate things. What if we try this and it all goes horribly wrong. I don't want to screw things up for Ava." Rory said.

"And your heart? What is that saying to you?"

Rory paused. "That I love him, that I don't want to live without him, that I spend 90% of my day thinking about him."

"You should probably tell him all of that" Lorelai smiled at her daughter. "Don't keep making him wait too long Ror, you've been keeping that poor boy at arm's lengths for years. Throw the poor kid a bone!"


	14. Tis The Season

Rory stood in her kitchen far earlier than she would have liked on the following Saturday morning, desperately trying to wake herself up. She was making herself her usual coffee when she heard the knock at the door. She looked at the clock and groaned, she never normally got up this early but today was the day that Logan was collecting her and Ava for their special day out. Ava had been excited for days and had talked about nothing else, so excited to be going out with both her mommy and her daddy.

"The door is open" she yelled, "Come in!"

Logan opened the door and walked into Rory's apartment. "Where are you?" he called.

"I'm in the kitchen" she shouted back.

"Hi," he said as he poked his head around the door "You're still in your PJs?" he groaned.

"I just need like five minutes," she said with a yawn. "Coffee first. You want one?"

"Sure" Logan sat down at the breakfast bar.

Rory poured him a cup and handed it over to him. "Ava is in the living room if you want to go sit with her, she's all ready."

"Well go get yourself dressed Rory, and wrap up warm, we're going to be outside a lot today."

Rory raised an eyebrow. "You're really not going to tell me what we're doing today?"

"It's meant to be a surprise for my Gilmore girls, now where would be the fun if I told you!" he smirked.

Rory disappeared into her bedroom to get ready. She too was kind of excited about the day ahead. She hadn't wanted to show it too much or look too keen but she'd been really happy when Logan had asked her to spend the day with them.

Once Rory was dressed and ready to go, they all piled into the car and Logan drove to them over to his parent's house. He pulled up outside the big mansion and turned off the engine.

Rory turned to him. "If this is your idea of a special day out…" she joked.

"Relax Ace, this is most definitely not the surprise…" he laughed. "Come on," he said leading them around the back of the house to the helipad where the company helicopter was sitting waiting for them.

"We're going in the helicopter daddy?!" Ava squealed as she squeezed Rory's hand. "How exciting!"

"We sure are, jump in," he said to them both.

Rory shook her head "Your life is crazy" she said as she climbed up into the helicopter.

Logan looked at her and shrugged with a smile on his face. Rory had never been able to get used to the extravagances that came with being a Huntzberger, the whole millionaire lifestyle was one that she had essentially become comfortable around but underneath it all, she was still just a girl from a small town called Stars Hollow, even if her daughter was now heiress to an absolute fortune.

The helicopter took them straight to New York City. When Rory realized exactly where it was they were going, she turned to Logan. "We couldn't just use a car, you know like normal people do?"

"Normal is boring Ace. Plus it's a four hour round trip, this saves us loads of time. No time to waste sitting in traffic on the I-95." he smiled. "I have a whole itinerary planned!"

"I'm impressed at all this planning" Rory laughed. "What happened to the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants guy we know and love - Mr Spontaneity – where is he hiding?"

Logan laughed for a moment but then looked at her more seriously. "He's still here, I just wanted to make today it special that's all," he said as he leaned over and squeezed her hand.

* * *

Once they landed in New York they started their day off with breakfast at Logan's favorite café before their headed off to Macy's Santaland where they were due to meet the big man himself and all his super peppy elves. Santaland was well known in New York for its epic festive displays and beautiful scenery and of course the icing on the cake for Ava was getting to sit with Santa and talk about all the things she wanted for Christmas. Now that she was four, this was the first year that she was really excited and more aware of what was going on. She was so excited to tell him what was on the top of her Christmas list – a tutu and a pink guitar. Rory was relieved that these were two things she already had safely stashed away and that Ava hadn't asked for something completely unattainable.

Ava was completely in awe of the whole place - the carolling snowmen, the reindeer, the twinkling lights and the ornately decorated trees. It was the first time that Ava had really been old enough to enjoy a visit to Santa and Rory thought it was a really special moment that she was glad to be sharing with Logan.

When they had finished at Macy's Logan took the girls for lunch before they headed over to the Rockefeller Center where they went to admire the big tree and have a turn on the ice-rink. The ice-skating was a lot of fun and to anyone on the outside, they looked like the perfect young family, holding hands with Ava as they skated around the rink. There were several times that Logan had to hold on to Rory to stop her falling and they laughed and giggled like children all the way around. Logan stopped to soak up the atmosphere and how Rory looked, her cheeks rosy in the cold, she was smiling and more relaxed than he'd seen her in a long time.

"What are you looking at?" Rory asked suddenly feeling a little self-conscious.

"You" Logan shrugged "You look happy"

"Right now? Yeah, I guess I am" she smiled. "Even though I have spent the majority of the last hour on my ass on the ice," she said as she rolled her eyes

"I could always rub it better if you think that would help Ace?" Logan said suggestively.

"Nice try Huntzberger!"

After a little while longer on the ice, they'd all had enough of the cold and so Logan whizzed them off to Dylan's Candy Bar, where they never thought they were ever going to get Ava out of before they headed down the street to one of Rory's favorite places, Serendipity 3 for some much needed hot chocolate.

Their last stop was to the Lincoln Center to watch the New York City Ballet perform The Nutcracker - the quintessential New York Christmas ballet experience. Usually, they didn't admit children under that age five but Logan took advantage of the Huntzberger name, putting it to good use and managing to secure them a private box. Ava, already being a ballet fanatic at her young age sat through the gorgeous and magical performance completely mesmerized. She was as good as gold and it was the perfect end to the perfect day.

After the show had finished, they made their way back to the helicopter and before they'd even taken to the air, Ava had fallen fast asleep with her head leaning lazily on Logan. Rory looked across at her sleeping daughter and smiled. There was something about seeing Logan and Ava together that always made her heart ache, though this time it was in a good way. Today had been pretty much a blissfully perfect day.

"You've broken our daughter," Rory said.

Logan looked down at Ava and back up at Ava. "She's definitely worn out," he said as he stroked his daughter's soft dark curls.

"She's had such an amazing day Logan, so have I" she smiled.

"Really?" Logan asked her.

Rory nodded "It was perfect, thank you so much," she said to him.

Logan looked at Rory "You're welcome, I'm glad you came with us."

"Me too" she smiled. "Thanks for asking me".

Rory sat back and relaxed for the rest of the flight back to Hartford. She had been quietly impressed by the day Logan had planned for them – she didn't think she'd ever had a day quite like it. She really didn't care whatever anyone said about Logan, there was no doubt that when it came to being a dad, he was pretty much the top of the pile and she felt a niggling bit of regret that she had pushed him into a formal custody agreement when the truth was he had demonstrated his commitment to Ava, and Rory, time and time again.

Logan leaned back in his seat. It had been a really good day and felt like a real glimpse of what they could all have together. He desperately wanted to talk to Rory about them, he wanted to tell her how he had ended things with Sarah the day after Ava's party, there was no way he could continue dating her when his heart wasn't in it and he'd seen a glimmer of hope with Rory - but he had said he would give her the time she needed to process things, and he didn't want her to feel like he was rushing her along with his own decisions. Logan just hoped it wouldn't take too long.

* * *

When they got back to Rory's apartment, Logan carried a sleeping Ava in and popped her down gently onto the sofa.

"Brr, it's really cold in here," Rory said "Shall I make us some hot chocolate?" she said as she pulled off her hat and gloves.

Logan hovered hesitantly, not sure whether he should stay or go. He was really struggling to read Rory recently and the last thing he wanted was for her to think that he'd overstepped the mark in any way.

She looked at him, sensing his that he wasn't sure what to do. "You are more than welcome to stay for a bit? Perhaps you could take Ava through and pop her into bed?"

"Sure," Logan said, scooping up a sleepy Ava. He was always warmed when Rory asked him to help out with parenting duties when they were in her home, it always made it feel like they were more of a team, rather than being two single parents.

Rory started to prepare the drinks in the kitchen, before going to see Logan in Ava's bedroom where he was just tucking their daughter in for the night.

"Night night sweetie," Rory said as she leaned down to kiss her goodnight. "That was a really good day with daddy huh"

"The best" Ava smiled sleepily.

Logan and Rory moved towards the door to leave the room and let Ava sleep.

"Mommy?" Ava called.

"Yes, honey?" Rory turned back to her daughter.

"Can Daddy be here for Christmas, I want…" she paused to yawn "I want Daddy…to…presents…and" she said her eyes finally falling closed.

"Of course darling, whatever you want" Rory whispered as she closed the door behind her. She went to the kitchen and grabbed their drinks before bringing them into the living room where Logan had sat down on the sofa.

"Did you hear what Ava just asked?" Rory asked Logan tentatively.

"Yeah," Logan said with a little smile. "I did"

"You don't have to come if you don't want to if it's too weird and you've probably got other plans anyhow…" Rory rambled. She really didn't want Logan to feel like he had to come and spend Christmas morning with them when he'd probably want to be with his family and girlfriend.

"It's fine, I'd really like to be here with Ava" Logan smiled "It will be nice, but only if you don't mind that is. I don't want to intrude or anything, I know it's your turn to have her for Christmas."

"That doesn't bother me at all" she shook her head. "Well if you're really sure, I don't want you to feel like you have to, Ava would understand…I mean, we're meant to be going to Stars Hollow anyhow but I guess I could change that" Rory mused out loud.

Logan nodded "Absolutely, change your plans. Let's do this for Ava."

Rory smiled nervously "Okay, yeah. You can stay here if you want. In the spare room, I mean" she said quickly in case he thought that she was suggesting anything else.

"Sure" Logan laughed a little at Rory's embarrassment. "That would be good." There were definitely places he'd rather stay than the spare room but for now, he'd take it.

* * *

"So fruit of my loins, how was the big day out with Daddy Warbucks?"

Rory groaned at her mother. "Can you not call him that, please?"

"Sorry, my bad, how was your day out with your baby daddy"

"Not much better mom" she sighed but continued "It was great. Logan planned so many amazing things for us, and Ava had a brilliant time. He really is just the best dad, everything was so well thought through, I can't really believe the effort he went to. It was a perfect day"

"Oh my, you are swooning for Logan big time"

"No, I am not," Rory said abruptly.

"Oh okay, you're not. Just tell me again how fantastic he is…? If you can stop swooning long enough that is." Lorelai joked. "I am assuming you finally opened up and told him how you feel?"

"You know what they say – to assume makes an ass out of…"

"u and me, yes yes I know. Don't change the subject" Lorelai groaned.

"No, I didn't not yet. It's only been a few days and Christmas is coming up…" Rory trailed off.

"Oh yes, that reminds me, you've still not told me what you are doing yet, are you coming to Stars Hollow on Christmas Eve or what?" Lorelai asked her daughter when she called the next day to find out how their day out with Logan had gone. "Because Sookie is bothering me about menus and numbers and there's only so much I can take…"

"No, our plans have changed a bit…" Rory said nervously. If there was one thing Lorelai was a stickler for, it was their Christmas traditions and she was worried about breaking the news to her mom that she wouldn't be there for Christmas morning.

"Oh?" Lorelai said slightly puzzled. Rory always came home for Christmas, no matter where she was.

"Don't blame me, blame your granddaughter. It was all her doing. We'll be coming over for dinner later on Christmas Day but we're going to be spending Christmas morning here with Logan…." Rory waited for her mom to react. "He's going to stay over on Christmas Eve."

"Reaaaaaaally?" Lorelai said her mouth gaping wide. This was a new development.

Rory groaned. "There's no need to get carried away, it's not like that at all. He's going to be staying in the spare room and it's only because Ava asked for him to be here when she woke up on Christmas morning."

"Ava is smooth," Lorelai said "I am impressed at those skills, seriously. But, Ror, do you think this is a wise move? Given you are still deliberating over things I mean…"

"I don't know," Rory admitted. "Maybe it will be a turning point for us, who knows."


	15. To Be Jolly

A few days later, Christmas Eve arrived in all its festive glory and Logan turned up at Rory's apartment, as arranged, to be greeted at the door by a very over-excited Ava who was bouncing up and down with a pair of jingling reindeer antlers attached to her head.

"Daddy you're just in time! We're going to put out the cookies and the milk and the carrots and the stockings and…."

Logan laughed at the speed his daughter was talking – along with her captivating blue eyes and incredible ability to eat massive amounts of junk food; it was just another fascinating trait that she had inherited from her mother.

"Come on Daddy," Ava said pulling him into the living room.

"Hi" Rory looked up from where she was sitting on the floor doing some last minute present wrapping while listening to Christmas carols.

"Hi" Logan smiled.

He looked at Rory. She was completely relaxed, in her Christmas sweater, hair pulled back in a loose ponytail and her own head adorned with matching antlers. All he could think was that she'd never looked more beautiful.

"Here," she said as she tossed him his own set of reindeer antlers. "You're not part of the gang if you're not wearing those" she smiled.

"Daddy, put them on" Ava giggled.

Logan obliged and stuck the antlers on his head. "There, how do I look?"

"Silly" Ava giggled again. "Daddy? Shall I show you where we put the cookies?" she said grabbing hold of Logan's hand.

Rory couldn't help but smile as Ava pointed out everything to Logan. Of course, he'd been here at Christmas before and he'd known exactly where Rory left the glass of milk but he was only too happy humor Ava and let her drag him around.

"You know, Ava, it's almost time for bed," Rory said as she pulled her little girl down onto her lap. "Now, do you want mommy or daddy to read you the story tonight?"

Ava put her finger to her lip and thought very carefully. "I want mommy AND daddy," she said with a smile.

"Of course you do" Rory smiled and rolled her eyes at Logan. "Come on then, lead the way madam," she said as she got up off the floor.

Ava got into her new Christmas pyjamas and snuggled down under her covers. "Mommy, you lie down with me and daddy can read us the story. I like to listen to daddy."

"If you insist," she said handing Logan the book with a smile. "Looks like it's your turn."

It had become Rory and Ava's annual tradition to read "The Night Before Christmas" every Christmas Eve but it seemed like this year, Logan was going to have to step into the breach and actually, he didn't mind one little bit, in fact, he loved being included in their little traditions.

Logan opened the book and began to read while Rory lay down next to her daughter on the bed.

"'Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro' the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;"

Before Logan had even got to the end of the book Ava's eyes were starting to get heavy and Rory figured if she lay there much longer herself she too would be drifting off. She had been feeling very soothed just lying there listening to Logan reading.

Rory got up off the bed and stretched. "Goodnight sweetie, I'll see you in the morning," she said as she kissed Ava on the cheek and left Logan to say his own goodnight to their daughter.

Logan leaned over and pulled up the covers "Now remember Ava, you have to get lots of sleep tonight as Santa can't come if you're still awake."

"Okay daddy" Ava nodded "You'll be here when I wake up though won't you"

"I'll be here" he nodded and kissed her lightly on the top of her head.

* * *

Logan walked back into the living room where Rory was curled up on the sofa watching Elf on the TV.

"Shall I get us something to drink?" he asked her.

"Yeah, there's a bottle of wine on the counter in the kitchen, grab some glasses and bring that in," she said as she looked up at him.

They enjoyed the rest of the evening, just watching the film together and when it was finished, Logan and Rory snuck quietly around the apartment putting all the presents under the Christmas tree and filling Ava's stocking ready for her to find in the morning before they turned everything off and headed towards their bedrooms. They paused briefly outside their daughter's room and peeked in on a soundly sleeping Ava.

"She's pretty perfect isn't she" Logan whispered and smiled at Rory.

"I concur" she smiled back.

Rory hesitated briefly before she opened the door to the spare room. "So this is your room, well, I mean the spare room," she said nervously. "I think you should have everything you need in there. If you get cold, then there are extra blankets in the wardrobe."

"Thanks" Logan smiled. "I'm sure it will be fine."

"No problem, well, I guess, I'll see you in the morning," Rory said as she made her way to her own room. "Goodnight Logan."

Rory lay awake in her bed, tormented by the fact that Logan was lying just on the other side of the wall. They'd had a really good evening together and she couldn't help but think how much it had felt like they were an actual family getting ready for Christmas. It had never really felt like that before. As she settled down and tried to get some sleep, she was both intrigued and excited for the morning.

* * *

Logan woke early on Christmas morning. It felt more than a little weird to be waking up in Rory's apartment, especially as he had never spent the night before. He listened for a moment to see if he could hear anybody else up but the apartment was in silence. Logan turned to look at the clock and saw that it was 6.30am.

He got out of bed and went into Ava. He perched gently sat on the edge of her bed just watching her for a moment before he woke her up.

"Hey, baby girl" he whispered and Ava slowly opened her eyes. "Guess what?"

She smiled when she looked at up and saw her daddy there.

"He's been…" Logan smiled back.

Ava jumped up "Santa's been? Has he really been?"

Logan nodded "Do you think we should go tell mommy?"

"Yes!" she squealed loudly as she threw back the covers.

Rory lay in her bed just enjoying the peace for a moment. She heard Ava's squeal so she knew that it would be literally seconds before her blissful moment peace was destroyed, but she didn't mind, not one little bit. Right on cue, the door to her bedroom flew open and in ran the little whirlwind that was Ava, followed slightly awkwardly by Logan. He felt a little uncomfortable about just wandering into Rory's room, especially as he remembered what almost happened on her bed just a few short weeks ago. Ava jumped on the bed, while Logan hovered by the door.

"It's okay Logan, I don't bite," she laughed "Not unless I'm asked very nicely anyhow" she joked.

Logan laughed and came in and sat on the side of her bed next to Ava.

"Mommy, we came to tell you…Santa has been" Ava whispered conspiringly.

"No!" Rory gasped "I hope he's left me a present?"

"Oh! I don't know" Ava clasped her hand to her mouth. "We should go look. Come on mommy" she said running out of the room.

"Yeah, come on mommy," Logan said grabbing Rory by the hand and dragging her into the living room.

For the next few hours, they sat around in the living room watching Ava open all her presents while eating chocolate for breakfast and watching Christmas movies. After what felt like forever, Ava was finally done and they sat exhausted surrounded by a pile of wrapping paper.

"Hey Ava, come over here for a moment," Logan said "Do you want to give mommy her present? The one from me and you?" he said handing his daughter a beautifully wrapped gift box. Ava took it out of his hands and excitedly bounded over to Rory.

"For me" she clasped her hand to her chest in shock.

"Open it, mommy!" Ava urged.

Rory untied the bow from the box and slowly lifted the lid to peek it inside. She gasped when she saw the beautiful Tiffany necklace that was nestled inside.

"Do you like it?" Logan asked nervously.

"I…yes…wow Logan it's beautiful but this is way too much," she said as she gently touched the necklace.

It was a gorgeous platinum necklace with an eye-catching pear-shaped vivid aquamarine stone surrounded by round brilliant diamonds. Rory didn't think she'd ever seen such a beautiful piece of jewelry and it had kind of taken her breath away.

"I help daddy pick it out for you mommy," Ava said proudly, "He said it reminded him of my eyes," she said holding her eyes wide open so Rory could compare the two. She looked funny and it made Rory laugh out loud.

"Do you know what, Daddy is right" Rory nodded. "I really don't know what to say" she looked at Logan.

"Just say thank you silly!" Ava rolled her eyes.

"Thank you, Logan, it's…amazing" She paused for a moment "I actually have a present too, I'll, erm, I'll just go get it," she said jumping up and hurrying out of the room.

Logan watched as Rory seemed to rush out the room in a hurry. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should go and check that she was okay.

"Ava?" he said. "Just wait here for a moment okay?"

Ava looked up from where she was playing with a new puzzle "Okay daddy".

Rory escaped to her bedroom just in time for her to take a few deep breaths to stop the tears from falling, she was suddenly feeling so very overwhelmed. She opened up her balcony door to get some fresh air. She was only out there for a moment when Logan quietly joined her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, "Did I upset you?"

She jumped at the sound of her voice and she spun around to look at him "No, you didn't upset me, I just needed a moment."

Logan nodded "Rory, I just want you to know, it means a lot to be here with you both today, thank you for letting me join you."

"Well, it was Ava wanted" Rory smiled a little.

"Just Ava?" Logan asked.

Rory lifted her head up to look at him. "No" she shook her head "Not just Ava" she admitted.

Before she knew what was happening Logan's lips were pressed against her own and the whole world seemed to fall away. His kiss was slow and soft and he caressed her cheek gently. Rory inhaled sharply and pulled him closer until there was no space left between them and she could feel the beating of his heart against her chest as his arms encircled her to hold her tight. She responded to the kiss and allowed it to deepen, a warm rush of emotion filling her body as their tongues massaged against one another. After a few minutes, they had to pull away to get their breath back and in the moments that followed they didn't speak – neither of them could find any words to describe what they had just felt.

"Wow," Rory eventually said to break the silence. She smiled at Logan. "Come on, we had better get back in there, Ava will be wondering where we are," she said squeezing his hand. "And I've still got to give you your present."

"You meant that wasn't it?" he asked with a smile as they walked back into the living area.

"Here," she said handing over a large package to Logan "It doesn't exactly compare with diamonds but I hope you like all the same." she said nervously.

Logan looked at her intrigued as he pulled off the Christmas wrapping paper. He opened it and sat back without saying a word.

"I know it's not much but I wanted to get you something and I wasn't sure what to get you and then I saw this photo that my mom had taken. It's a bit presumptuous that you might want a picture with my face on it but I thought it was a really nice shot of our family and well I just thought you might like it and now I am really nervous about it!" Rory realized she was rambling.

"I love it," Logan said.

"You do?" Rory said quietly

Rory's present had rendered him pretty much speechless. It was nothing like what he would have expected from her. Lorelai had managed to catch a pretty special moment on camera at Ava's birthday party – Logan was holding a beaming Ava in one arm while the other was wrapped around Rory's waist. While Ava was giggling towards the camera, Logan and Rory were exchanging a happy smile, their eyes locked on each other. When Rory had seen it on her mom's camera, she had thought it was one of the nicest photos they'd ever had together and so she'd had the image blown up and put onto a canvas in black and white because she suspected that Logan would love it too.

He stood up and gave Rory a tight hug. "Thank you, it's…well, there are no words to describe it."

"Obviously it might be awkward putting it up, what with the ex-girlfriend on it, so do what you want with it. I won't be offended if you don't display it" she smiled. She had realized that his girlfriend would perhaps not approve.

"Don't be silly, this deserves to be seen!" Logan said with a smile. "And I know just where I want to put it."

* * *

A little while later and it was already time for Rory and Ava to head off to Stars Hollow for dinner with Lorelai, and for them to say their goodbyes to Logan who helped them load their bags into the car.

"So, we're going to be in Stars Hollow for the week which means that you'll miss your night with Ava unless you want to come to get her, which is totally fine or I can drop her off to you…" Rory said as Logan clipped Ava into her car seat.

"That's okay, I mean I'll see her New Years Eve as planned right?" he said as she stood back up.

"Oh yeah," Rory nodded. It was Logan's usual weekend to have Ava and so he was sacrificing his New Years Eve celebrations to stay in with his daughter. Not that he saw it as a sacrifice at all.

"Are you going to Steph's parents house for their annual party?" he asked.

Rory rolled her eyes "Yes, I wouldn't be allowed to miss if it I wanted to! Steph dragged me shopping for dresses weeks ago."

"Okay, well, I'll see you on New Year's Eve" Logan leaned in and kissed Rory chastely on the cheek. "See you in a few days princess," he said to Ava and kissed her head lightly. "Have fun in Stars Hollow!"

* * *

Rory sat on the sofa at The Dragonfly Inn where Lorelai had decided to host Christmas dinner and rubbed her tummy.

"Sookie's food is too good, I've overeaten again" she groaned.

Ava was busy off tormenting Michel. She loved to play at the Inn and as much as Michel pretended not to like children, he was extremely fond of Ava.

Lorelai sat down next to Rory. "So you never told me how Christmas morning went with Logan."

Rory felt a little blush creep up her cheeks "Oh it was good."

"Just good? Because your pink cheeks are kind of telling me a different story"

"It was really nice" Rory admitted as she pulled the box containing the necklace out of her bag and handed it to her mom. "Logan bought me a present"

Lorelai raised and eyebrow and opened it "Oh my god Rory! This is some bauble!" she said looking at her daughter.

Rory nodded. "He picked it out with Ava, because it reminded him of her eyes according to my daughter."

"Aww!" Lorelai said "That's really sweet, and very romantic" she added. "So are you two…"

"Oh" Rory shook her head "No, not yet – and he's got a girlfriend but…we had a nice time together and we kissed…"

"You kissed?" Lorelai asked, "Like a peck on the cheek or like kissed, kissed."

"Well, it wasn't exactly a peck on the cheek" Rory smiled. "Anyway, like I said, we had a really nice time and there wasn't much time to dissect anything as we had to leave to come here…but it felt good."

"And you're seeing him…when?" Lorelai asked.

"He's having Ava on New Year's Eve so I guess I'll him then when he picks her up," Rory said.

Later that evening Rory took a sleepy Ava up to bed at the Inn. They had decided to stay in a room there rather than at Lorelai's house as it gave them a little bit more space and privacy. Rory was just getting into bed when she noticed a notification flash up on her cell phone screen. She picked it up and read it.

"Thanks for today, for all of it. L x"

Rory smiled as she messaged back. "No problem, and Merry Christmas x "

* * *

A/N: Yeepers, have been trying to find the time to post this since yesterday - hope you like it!


	16. Ring Out The Old

Rory really enjoyed spending a few chilled days back in Stars Hollow with her friends and family. It really gave her the chance to catch up with everyone. While she really only lived a short distance away, she didn't get back to the town as often as she liked and she generally relied on Lorelai for keeping up with all the gossip.

One of the things that she most appreciated was being able to spend some time with her old friend Lane. They saw each other a lot less these days which was in part down to the fact that Lane herself didn't spend a lot of time in Stars Hollow after her band, Hep Alien, had landed some touring gigs which saw them travelling all over the country. Despite the fact that they rarely physically got together, Rory knew she would always consider Lane to be her very best friend and she was so proud of the success she had found doing something that she loved.

"Oh my God Rory, look at you, you look amazing," Lane said as she hugged her friend.

"I can't believe it's been three months since I last saw you Lane! How has life on the road been?" Rory smiled.

Lane flopped back on the sofa "Ugh, it's fun you know, but staying in such close quarters with three guys all the time? Let's just say the novelty has well and truly worn off." She groaned. "You don't fancy joining a band, do you? Because a little more oestrogen and a little less testosterone would really balance things out a bit."

Rory laughed "You know, I don't think that band life would be for me at all. Besides, I have a real job now!" Rory said proudly.

"You do?" Lane said, "How am I so behind on ALL the news!"

"I've been meaning to email you but life has been crazy busy. I've got a job writing for the Hartford Courant" Rory said.

"That's great news! Wow, well done Rory"

"Well, I'd be prouder of myself had I not had to ask Logan to get me said job but...even so, I'm really enjoying it, it's great to be writing again and the editor is so great, I can even get over the mental hurdle of having to work for the Huntzbergers again" Rory rolled her eyes.

"Speaking of which...how is Logan?" Lane asked carefully. It had always been a topic of conversation that could go either way. She had been on the receiving end of many a tearful telephone call in the early days after their break-up and throughout Rory's pregnancy when she was at an all-time low.

"Oh, he's fine," Rory said succinctly.

"Okay spill Gilmore," Lane said, "You can't pull the wool over these eyes, I know you too well."

Rory bit her lip. "We're kind of going through something right now..."

"Something...good? or...something bad?" Lane said intrigued.

"It's a really long, boring and angst-filled story but I'll give you the edited highlights. One day Logan and I drank a little too much red wine and we kind of kissed but were stopped in our tracks by an interruption also known as our lovely daughter. Two days later Logan starts dating Ava's dance teacher, who he then introduces to his family and Ava as his girlfriend. As a knee-jerk reaction and a mini-panic on my part, I got a lawyer to put together a custody agreement and I almost slept with someone I met in a bar. We had several fights about all of this and then finally my mom caught Logan and I making out on my bed at Ava's 4th birthday party."

"Making out, making out – like proper making out?" Lane asked.

"Jeez Lane, is that all you got from that?" Rory shook her head.

"It was a lot of information!" Lane said defending herself.

Rory nodded. "My life, in a nutshell"

"So where are things with Logan now?" Lane asked. "Is he still dating the dance teacher?"

Rory shrugged. "He was two weeks ago, I mean, he's not mentioned her for a while and I haven't asked" she grimaced "but after the birthday party incident, well, we talked a little and I asked him for some time to figure a few things out, which he gave me. He whisked me and Ava out for the most special day in New York before Christmas and he stayed over on Christmas Eve so he could be there with us in the morning..."

"Wait, he stayed over?" Lane looked at Rory in surprise.

Rory smiled "Nothing happened Lane, he stayed in the spare room."

"Your powers of self-restraint are better than I thought!" Lane said, amused.

"Tell me about it" Rory groaned "So we've just been doing the 'friends' thing although...he bought for me this for Christmas," she said as she showed Lane the necklace that Logan had given her "and we kissed again shortly before we left to come here."

Lane smiled at her friend "Wow that's beautiful. And you love him right, we all know that."

"Yeah, I do" Rory admitted.

"So what are you waiting for? Go get your man Rory!"

* * *

Rory left Lane's house and was taking a slow walk back to The Dragonfly Inn when Logan called her on her cell phone.

"Hey, you," she said as she answered the call.

"Hey, I was just wondering what time you'll be back in Hartford and when I should come around and get Ava" Logan asked.

"Erm well I am planning to get home at about 4 pm as I've got to get ready for the party tonight so anytime from then?" Rory said.

"Oh yes, the party at Steph's parents?" Logan asked.

"You know, you should come," Rory said before she had a chance to stop herself.

"Oh I would but I'll have Ava and we've got this whole thing planned...and I've been looking forward to this makeover all week – I'm crying out for a manicure" Logan joked.

Rory smiled "I have to admit, your cuticles could do with some work". She paused for a moment before continuing. There really was no point going back, she'd already said he should come so why not push a little harder? "Well...if you did want to come tonight, I could always leave Ava with my mom. I know she'd love to have her and I could collect her from here tomorrow?"

Logan paused. He wanted nothing more than to see Rory that night and this really was the first real move she had made towards him.

"Well, if you're sure Lorelai won't mind? And you don't mind me ditching Ava? It is my night to have her." Logan asked.

"She won't and it's fine," Rory said quickly "It will be fun, I mean all your friends will be there, so you should be there too."

"Okay, well I guess I'll see you tonight," Logan said as they ended the call.

Rory put her phone back in her bag and inhaled deeply. She knew she needed to move the Logan situation on in one way or another and asking him to come along to the party tonight had felt like a big step towards that. She really felt the need to see him.

"Mom?" she called as she walked into the Inn.

"Yeah, Sweets?" Lorelai poked her head out of the storeroom.

"Can I leave Ava here with you tonight?"

"Sure. Logan can't have her...?" Lorelai asked carefully. She knew that potentially that was an emotive subject.

Rory shook her head. "Oh no, nothing like that. Well, no he can't have her but he's going to come to the party tonight and I said it would be okay to leave her here"

"I see," Lorelai said with a knowing look. She could easily see where this was going. "That's fine Ror, I have no plans for New Year's Eve whatsoever. Just me, Luke and now Ava eating our own weight in junk food. The perfect night in!"

"Thanks, mom, I owe you one" Rory smiled.

"Oh, you owe me more than one missy!" Lorelai said as she raised an eyebrow at her daughter.

* * *

After saying her goodbyes to Ava, Rory drove back to Hartford to get ready for the New Years Eve party at Steph's parent's house. Right on cue at 8 pm, there was a knock at the door. Rory walked over and opened it with a smile.

"Never fear, your date for the evening is here"

Rory laughed as Finn bowed to greet her.

"My lady you look absolutely amazing," Finn said as he looked her up and down appreciatively.

Rory had been out shopping a few weeks previously and had picked up a gorgeous fitted mermaid style full-length gown in a midnight blue satin. It had a sexy plunging sweetheart neckline and was almost completely backless apart from two thin shoestring straps that crisscrossed holding the dress in place. She'd decided to go a little more glam with her hair and makeup and had swept her hair up into a messy side bun, applied smoky eye-shadow and finished off the look with a splash of deep red lipstick. Finally, around her neck she placed the gorgeous diamond necklace that Logan had bought her for Christmas. She felt every bit like a Hollywood starlet.

"Thanks, Finn" she smiled. "Shall we?" she said taking hold of his arm.

"We most definitely shall," he said as he kissed her on the cheek. "One thing is for sure, I am definitely going to have the hottest date tonight"

They sat in the back of the limo on the way to the party. Finn looked over at Rory and noticed she was fiddling with her hands a lot.

"Are you nervous love?" Finn asked.

Rory looked up at him. "What? Oh no," she shook her head and then wrinkled her nose. "A little" she admitted.

"Of what?" Finn asked.

"I'm not really sure" she laughed and it was the absolute truth. She did feel a little nervous but she wasn't sure why. She guessed it was the anticipation of seeing Logan but she saw him several times a week so she had no idea why the butterflies were creating merry havoc inside her now.

They pulled up to the party and went inside, Rory holding on tight to Finn's arm. They did the usual rounds and mingled and made pleasantries with everyone that they needed to before they stood and chatted with their friends near the bar.

"Fancy a spin on the dance floor, Rory? You are my date after all" Finn winked as he dragged her onto the dance floor. "So, you're waiting for Logan to appear huh?"

Rory shook her head "No, I'm..." she paused and smiled. Finn was a mind reader sometimes and there was absolutely no point lying to him.

"Just make it happen!" Finn said. "You've been dancing around this for too long."

"Do you think he wants that?" she asked. "He's still got a girlfriend after all."

"No he doesn't," Finn said.

"What do you call Sarah?" Rory said rolling her eyes as Finn twirled her around.

"Erm...gone? He broke up with her weeks ago. He never told you?" Finn said looking puzzled.

"No," Rory said equally confused. She knew Logan hadn't mentioned her at all recently but he'd never told her he had ended things with her.

"He never wanted to be with her, you know that. He was just trying to get over you, though the silly boy should know by now that isn't ever going to happen." Finn raised an eyebrow. "He's just waiting for you to give him the signal."

Rory laughed. "Finn, so far we've made out at our daughters birthday party and we even kissed on Christmas Day. Both pretty big signals don't you think?"

"But have you actually told him that you want to be with him?" Finn asked. "We're guys Rory, it's not a myth, sometimes we do actually need it spelling out for us."

Rory looked at Finn. "When did you suddenly become the wise one?" she said as he spun her around.

"Sssh don't tell anyone, you'll ruin my rep!" Finn said in mock-horror.

After their dance, they headed back to the bar. Rory looked around for Logan but didn't see him anywhere and she felt a little disappointed that he hadn't shown yet – or at least she hadn't found him yet. It was approaching midnight and she'd really hoped he'd be there. Steph noticed the look on her friends face.

"What's the matter, Rory? Aren't you having fun? Here have another vodka martini always makes my parent's parties more enjoyable" Steph said she handed her a drink.

Rory took the drink out of her friend's hand "No, it's a great party" she said as she took a sip before placing her drink back on the bar.

"Well, well, well, everyone's here," a voice said from behind her and she froze as she felt Logan's hand graze her hip before he laid it to rest there. She turned round to look at him.

"Rory" he nodded as he took in her appearance "It's a party you know, you could have made a bit of an effort."

Rory smiled at him and rolled her eyes.

"You look beautiful" he leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Do you want to dance?" he said holding out his hand to her.

"Sure," she said as she slipped her hand into his "Lead the way"

Logan led her out onto the dance floor where they danced slowly and closely together listening to the music playing.

 _Ring out the old, ring in the new_ _  
A midnight wish to share with you  
Your lips are warm, my head is light  
Were we in love before tonight?_

"Are you having a good time?" Logan asked Rory.

"Much better now" she smiled. "Logan...why didn't you tell me about you and Sarah?"

"Who...? Finn!" he rolled his eyes "It wasn't really a secret Rory, but I didn't think you wanted to talk about any of that right now. I also really didn't want you to think I was trying to push you into anything...and I figured if I told you I had ended things you might think I was trying to rush things..." he paused. "I just wanted to give you the space to work out whatever it was you needed to."

"It's information that would have been useful" Rory smiled and raised an eyebrow.

"Useful?" Logan asked quizzically.

"As part of the whole decision-making process," Rory said.

"Ah, I see...' Logan smiled.

 _No need to hear the music play  
Your eyes say all there is to say  
The stars can fade  
And they can shine  
Long as your face is next to mine_

 _It's New Year's Eve, and hopes are high  
Dance one year in, kiss one goodbye  
Another chance, another start  
So many dreams to tease the heart_

"Does that mean...?"

"Maybe" Rory shrugged with a smile.

Logan's hand touched her face and he gently pulled her as close to him as possible. He dipped down and feathered kisses lightly down her neck in a move that made her heart swell.

"Rory" his face hovered only a few inches from hers. "You're are beautiful and you look damn sexy in that dress" he whispered "and all I want to do is take you home so I can show you exactly how beautiful you are"

"I think I'd like that too" Rory smiled "but I'm not sure what my date would think," she said as she nodded towards Finn.

"I can deal with him," Logan said as he moved to kiss the other side of her neck before he slowly worked his way around to her lips. He started by kissing gently but it soon grew deeper and more passionate and he ran his fingers gently up and down the bare skin on her back. She tried to keep her focus but it felt so good and a soft moan escaped her lips.

"Rory, if you make another sound like that we won't make it home" he whispered.

"Well, let's get out of here," she said taking him by the hand and leading him out of the room.

"But it's not even midnight yet" he protested with a laugh.

Rory turned back to face him "Are you coming or not?

 _We don't need a crowded ballroom  
Everything I need is here, if you're with me  
Next year will be the perfect year_

* * *

A/N: Two things...I decided as this story is AU, Lane didn't get married or have the twins. Instead, she's off enjoying touring with her band. I always felt like she got a rough deal in the OS. The song lyrics are "The Perfect Year" from Sunset Boulevard but look up Dina Carroll's version from 1996 as that's my favourite. Hope you enjoyed New Year's Eve...so far...


	17. Ring In The New

Rory and Logan left the party hand-in-hand, and once outside the house, Logan called his car service to collect them to take them back to his apartment. They didn't really say a whole lot to each other on the journey, both afraid to speak any words that could break the magical moment that they seemed to find themselves in. Logan kept hold of Rory's hand the whole time and when the car pulled up outside his apartment, he led Rory inside.

Rory had never really spent much time at Logan's place and she hadn't been there in a really long time. Whenever she had stopped by, her visits there had normally been short and perfunctory – she was usually just dropping off or collecting their daughter – so this time she was looking at his apartment with fresh eyes. She scanned around the room and smiled at all the pictures of Ava that hung on the walls. Logan was certainly a very proud father.

"Do you want a drink?' Logan said as Rory kicked off her heels and sat down on the sofa. Her feet were starting to ache from all the dancing and standing around.

"Sure" she nodded. "Hey, Logan, where were you all night? I thought I'd see you earlier."

"Did you miss me?" he smirked.

Rory rolled her eyes "Of course you would immediately think that."

"Ugh, Huntzberger thing" he called from the kitchen as he got the drinks "Mom was trying to set me up with some girl from the DAR and got me to the house under false pretences" he groaned. "You're lucky I managed to escape at all," he said as he came back into the room carrying a bottle of champagne and two glasses. He put them down on the side table while he popped the cork.

"Wow, champagne," Rory said. "You're pulling out all the stops tonight. What exactly are we celebrating?"

"A Happy New Year of course," Logan said as he handed her a glass of champagne.

"You know exactly what champagne does to me. Anyone would think that you trying to get me drunk?" She said with mock surprise and a wink.

"Well of course I am, how else am I going to have my wicked way with you?" he said, winking back.

Rory raised an eyebrow at him. She took a sip of the champagne, feeling the bubbles tickling the back of her throat. Logan sat down on the sofa next to her and brushed some stray hair away from her face before he leaned in and kissed her softly. She broke the kiss and leaned her forehead gently against his.

"Are you okay?" Logan asked.

"I'm a little nervous" Rory admitted.

"I can tell," he said as he pulled back to look at her and stroked her hair back from her face. "You don't have to be nervous with me, you know that. Not ever."

"I know. I don't mean to be." She looked into his eyes. "It's just that…this could change everything. Are you ready for that?"

Logan nodded. "I'm about to show you just how ready I am." He said as he took the glass out of her hand and put it down on the coffee table. He grabbed her hand and pulled her up off the sofa and led her towards the bedroom.

As they reached the bedroom door, Rory smiled as Logan pressed his lips to hers once again. She wrapped her arms around his neck and felt herself melt into him as he pulled her closer. She parted her lips, the tip of her tongue gliding softly along his bottom lip. Logan's hands trailed down her back to grab her ass firmly, pulling her firmly against him and delighting in the tiny moan that came from her. One of her hands clutched in the back of his hair and the other slipped under his shirt and onto his back. Logan could feel his arousal increasing. He just couldn't get enough of her.

"This is really quite unnecessary," Logan murmured against her lips. Rory was about to ask what he meant when she felt him reach behind her and he slowly started to unzip her dress. "And you're not going to need whatever is under it either."

Rory bit her lip and blushed a little but she smiled as she allowed her dress to pool around her feet on the floor. Logan stood back and admired her standing there in nothing but her black lacy panties.

"Wow. You look amazing," he said before he kissed again, this time deeper and more fervently.

Any remaining fears that Rory had in her mind completely melted away as he backed her towards the bed and she had no option but to lie back and give in. Logan's fingers running softly over her skin were causing a heightened sense of arousal and she craved his touch all over her body.

Her back arched, and she moaned softly as Logan's hot mouth found the sensitive spots on neck and traced a line down to her breast, his tongue moving in lazy circles around her nipple. She gasped slightly and she ran her hands through his hair as he gave attention to her breasts. Logan trailed kisses down to her stomach, licking parts of it, alternating hot and cold breaths of air on her skin to make her squirm with pleasure as he reached down to remove her panties.

He continued his course downward with his lips and she groaned as he scraped along the soft flesh of her inner thigh, eliciting a gasp from Rory that spurred him on further. Logan pushed her knees up so that she was open to him and he slipped his hands beneath her to cup her ass. He dipped his tongue into her entrance and she began to buck and shift, her moans growing louder as he gave her more and more of what she wanted.

"Oh, God Logan," she groaned as her body quivered. She coiled her hands in his hair, grasping at his head as she moaned.

Finally, she screamed out his name, gently coming into his mouth before she lay back breathless. Her arousal and obvious pleasure were almost too much for him to take and as he felt her climax against him, he nearly lost it himself. Logan looked up at Rory and the beauty of her flushed face, and he felt her hands relax in his hair before she was pulled him upward towards him. He rested his body against hers, framing her face with his hands, and kissed her lips.

She gazed into his eyes for a long moment, unblinking, and murmured, "I love you, Logan," and closed her eyes.

Logan stayed very still, his breath caught, heart pounding at the sound of words that he'd never expected to hear her say. He gently breathed her name. "Rory, I love you too".

"Please make love to me" she whispered.

"I thought you'd never ask" Logan smiled.

Rory trailed her hands down his body as she guided him to her opening. Logan paused there for a moment, as her hands slid around his waist and down to cup his ass firmly, pulling him closer. He watched her face, their eyes locked to each other, as he slipped easily into her, they fit together so perfectly. Her eyes drifted shut, and her mouth dropped open as Logan began to move. He closed his own eyes as he pulled back and drove himself home once more.

"Oh, God, Rory. You feel so incredible."

Rory couldn't speak as she held on to him, raising her hips to meet his as he moved inside her. She opened her eyes and saw him looking down at her, his dark eyes focused on her face. He leaned down and kissed her, hard, and she matched each thrust of his hips and tongue with her own.

"God, Logan," she breathed. "You're just as good as I remembered."

Logan leaned down and kissed Rory as they moved together. His tongue explored her mouth and with every thrust, she grew closer to another orgasm. Rory held Logan close, kissing him, moaning into his ear, and completely savoring the moment. She wrapped her legs around his as her second orgasm began to rage deep inside her until it finally overtook her and her whole body clenched. Logan felt her clamp down, and the sensations caused him to swell inside her. With a primal groan, he felt his own release.

"Wow," she whispered. "That was..." she searched for a word to describe her feelings. "That was incredible."

Sexually sated, they lay in each other's arms and kissed softly for a few minutes.

"Do you know how beautiful you are?" asked Logan as he trailed his fingers lightly over her thigh.

Rory looked up at him with sleepy eyes and said, "You're only saying that because we just had sex."

Logan pulled the covers over her and said, "Not true! Now come here" he said as he pulled her closer to him.

"Do you think I should…" she stumbled on her words "…do you want me to go?" she turned to him.

Logan looked at her puzzled. "Why on earth would I want you to go?" he said.

"I don't know" she laughed "This just feels really…weird"

"I've waited a long time to get you here, you're not going anywhere," he said.

Rory lifted her head, smiled, and kissed him again. They lay with their bodies entwined together for some time. Logan stroked Rory's hair and listened to her breathing slow until he was sure that she was asleep. He smiled as he thought how that night had been by far the best way to start the New Year, before falling fast asleep next to the girl he loved.

* * *

The next thing Rory was aware of was the smell of coffee when she awoke the next morning. She lay there in the bed, dreamy and content, feeling extremely happy. It took her a moment to get her bearings when she opened her eyes but then the memory of Logan and their midnight tryst came back to her. She got out of bed, throwing on some a t-shirt belonging to Logan and feeling very self-conscious all of a sudden, she padded into the kitchen to find him.

"Coffee?" Logan asked. He smiled as he looked at Rory standing barefoot in the kitchen in one of his t-shirts, her hair all mussed up. He had imagined this very scenario many a time and it was as absolutely perfect as he'd thought it would be.

"Thanks" Rory smiled as the took the coffee cup out of his hand. "Was that a dream?" she asked.

Logan turned away from what he was doing at the counter and walked over to her. "It was all real, very very real," he said as he ran his hand down her back and kissed her gently on the top of the head.

"I hope you don't mind, I borrowed a t-shirt," she said as she tugged down on the hem.

"Not at all, it looks hot on you" Logan smirked.

"Well, it was this or a ball gown, which incidentally I have just realized I will have to put back on as I have no clothes here" Rory groaned.

"Doing the walk of shame Ace?" Logan laughed. "It's surely not the first time." he winked.

"No, it's not, you know it isn't," she said as she rolled her eyes, remembering the many times she'd done a similar walk back from Logan's dorm on campus. Eventually, she had got so fed up of it that she had started keeping spare clothes at this place. "Anyhow, I had better drink this and get going."

"Really?" Logan looked a bit disappointed. He had hoped that she would hang around a bit so they could talk. While the previous night had definitely been a turning point he still felt like he didn't really know where he stood.

"I'm not running out on you Logan" she smiled "I've got to get to Stars Hollow to fetch Ava from my mom's house."

"Oh yeah, of course. I'll get a car to take you home" Logan said as he picked up his cell phone.

Rory shook her head. "You don't have to do that Logan"

"You really want to call a cab or walk home in last nights crumpled ball gown?" he said with a smile.

"Good point. A car would be great." she laughed.

Rory got dressed and when the car arrived she headed downstairs. Logan followed her out to say goodbye.

"Can I see you later?" Logan asked. "I mean Ava too, I've really missed her this week."

"Of course, I'll call you to let you know when I am home" she smiled.

"Looking forward to it already" Logan smiled as he kissed her goodbye.

* * *

A/N: There you go, I spoiled you again - and you can all thank whoever it was that left me a guest review on FanFiction and called me a 'cock block'. Oh my life, if that was you - you literally made my day. I laughed so hard, so here, have a bonus chapter. Be warned though, I haven't got much written after this and have a busy week so it might be a day or two until I get to post again! Hope you enjoy this chapter, you know the drill, let me know!


	18. What Comes Next

After she left Logan's apartment, Rory went back to her own place to shower and get changed. As she stood in the shower letting the warm water wash over her, all she could think about was how the events of the previous night had played out. It had felt like it had taken them a really long time to get to this point but Rory was so happy with how things had gone. She just hoped that this remained a positive step forward for them and that they could find a way to build on this. Rory didn't dare allow herself to think too far into the future or picture them together, as a family – she really didn't want to set her hopes too high in case it just led to disappointment.

She headed off to Stars Hollow to see her mom and collect Ava home. When she arrived there Ava was busy happily playing in the living room so after greeting her daughter with a big hug and a kiss, Rory went straight into the kitchen to grab a quick coffee with her mom. They sat down at the table and Rory took a sip of her drink.

"So how was the party last night? Good?" Lorelai asked.

"Oh yeah, it was really good. Steph's parents certainly know how to put on a good party." Rory said, trying to decide how much information she was going to impart on her mom.

"What is that on your neck?" Lorelai said with a raised eyebrow as she pointed to a light bruise on her daughter's neck.

"What?" Rory rubbed her herself self-consciously.

"Oh! Is that…a hickey?" Lorelai whispered. "You've got a hickey!" she exclaimed.

Rory clamped her hand over her neck and her skin tingled as she thought back to the activities of the night before and just how that mark on her neck had come to be in existence. She could feel herself blushing as Lorelai looked at her accusingly.

"You look really weird…I know that look…oh my god you had sex" Lorelai said as she eyed her daughter up. "Eww. You had sex." she groaned.

Rory rolled her eyes and shook her head at her mom.

"Am I right?" Lorelai asked. "I'm right aren't I?"

"Yes," Rory said quietly with a shy smile.

"I knew it! Who…what…where…details please!" Lorelai started to say before she paused. "Oh…I don't really need to ask do I?"

Rory fidgeted a little uncomfortably in her seat. "Probably not…I went home with Logan" she whispered. She really didn't want Ava to hear or pick up on anything yet.

"I've got to say, kid, I'm a little relieved that it was Logan," Lorelai said taking a sip of her coffee.

"Relieved?" Rory looked at her in surprise.

"Yeah! Okay, I've never been his biggest cheerleader but even I can see you're both madly in love with each other, and I'm pretty glad that hickey isn't a result of some random skanky hook-up" she grimaced. "So what does this actually mean for you guys? Was it just a quick 'wham bam thank you ma'am' or is it something more? "

"It's definitely something more." Rory wrinkled her nose. "I mean, we've not really talked about yet but…it felt good."

"Eww," Lorelai said and pulled a face.

"Oh, I don't mean like that! I mean the being together, dancing, talking, laughing." Rory playfully slapped her mom's arm "Though, also…it DID feel really good"

"Okay," Lorelai said closing her eyes. "That's way too much information for me, I'm out," she said as she walked into the living room and Rory followed laughing.

* * *

As soon as Rory arrived back home with Ava she dropped her keys onto the counter in her apartment and picked up her cell phone. She sent Logan a quick text to let him know that she was back home and then decided to call her friend for a quick chat. She had run out of Steph's parent's party last night without so much as a goodbye so she felt she owed her some sort of explanation and hoped that she wouldn't be mad at her.

"Oh, so you didn't disappear into a cloud of sulphur last night. What happened to you Gilmore" Steph said as she answered the call.

"Sorry I left so suddenly last night Steph. I meant to come and say goodbye but…I…" she stopped when her friend interrupted her.

"I'm totally kidding Rory. Of course, I know what happened to you. We all know what happened to you." Steph laughed.

"Seriously? Everybody knows?" Rory groaned.

"You were kissing on the dance floor and then poof you're nowhere to be seen. You think we wouldn't notice that Huntzberger vanished around the same time as you did. Mysterious huh!" Steph laughed "So…come on…how was it?"

"Would you believe me if I said nothing happened?" Rory asked.

"Absolutely not," Steph confirmed.

Rory giggled. "Well, it was…pretty incredible" she said with a smile. "But then I always knew it would be," she said slightly smugly. It was never bad with Logan.

"Damn! I'm totally jealous. The closest I got to any action last night was Colin sleep walking and trying to pee in my closet." Steph grumbled.

"Wait, what. You slept with Colin?" Rory said with a gasp. "That's news!"

"Slept being the operative word, Rory. Nothing happened…" Steph said. "So anyway, back to you, have you and lover boy made it official now?"

Rory smiled. "Not yet, we've not really had the chance to talk yet"

"Too busy last night?" Steph teased.

"Something like that" Rory laughed.

* * *

It was only a little while later that Logan arrived at Rory's apartment. Once he had received her message that she was back at home, he really couldn't wait any longer to see her. It had also been a week since he'd seen Ava and he hated being apart from her for that long so he was keen to get around there.

"Daddy!" Ava said as Logan walked into the apartment and she wrapped herself around his legs. "Daddy, I sure did miss you this week."

"And I missed you too princess," he said as he scooped her up into his arms and tickled her.

"Have you come to take me for ice-cream?" Ava said as she looked at him with her big blue eyes. "Please!"

Rory laughed, she knew there was no way on earth that Logan was going to be able to resist giving in to Ava. He never could.

Logan looked at Rory "Do you mind if I steal her away for an hour?" he smiled. He knew that they needed to talk. He didn't want her to think he was avoiding it in any way.

"No, it's fine. Go have ice-cream. I'll take advantage of the peace and quiet for a bit. I think I'll go and have a long soak in the tub" she smiled.

"Okay, well we'll be back soon," he said. Ava was already putting her shoes on "And then we'll talk?" he asked her quietly.

Rory bit her lip nervously and nodded. "Yeah, sounds good."

* * *

Rory had a gloriously long uninterrupted bath and was just wrapping herself in her big white fluffy robe when she heard Logan and Ava arrive back at the apartment. They all sat in the living room and chatted and played for a little bit until Rory told Ava that it was time for bed. When she came back from getting Ava ready for bed and she had tucked her up for the night, Logan was sitting on the sofa waiting for her.

"Hey," she said as she went and sat next to him.

"Hey," he said as he looked into her sparkling blue eyes. "Is she all settled?"

"Yes, she's been so excited recently, it doesn't seem to take much to wear her out." Rory smiled "So, you wanted to talk?" she asked.

"Yeah…" he said as he picked up her hand and held tightly it in his own. "Last night was…well, there really are no words for what last night was but I do think we need to clarify what THIS is."

Rory looked at him. "What do you want it to be?" she asked honestly.

"I want you, Rory. It's always been you. I want you in every way possible." he shrugged. "It's that simple for me."

Rory's breath hitched at his words. She wasn't quite sure what to say and tears threatened to fall from her eyes, so she got up from the sofa and walked to look out of the window to try and blink them away.

Logan watched her stare out of the window and walked over to stand behind her, gently placing his hand on her back. "What's the matter, Rory? I'm sorry if that's not what you expected to hear or…"

She turned around to face him and put her finger over his lips. "Sssh," she said as she kissed him softly. "That's absolutely everything I've ever wanted to hear, and more" she smiled. "I just, never thought I would. I meant what I said last night Logan. I love you" she shrugged.

Logan broke into a smile "and I meant it too. I've always loved you. From the moment we jumped off that scaffold tower together, I knew it then."

Rory smiled. "Well, why not let me show just you how much I love you," she said suggestively as she dragged him into her bedroom.

As soon as they were in her bedroom Rory slid off her robe. Now it was Logan's turn to stop breathing for a millisecond, as she stood there, completely naked in front of him. He felt like all his dreams had come true.

"I really think we need to even the score here," she said as she smiled at him and reached up and grabbed the bottom of his shirt.

"If you insist," he said as she tugged it up and over his head.

She pushed him back gently to sit on the edge of the bed before she dropped to her knees and reached for the waist of his pants.

"Up" she directed once she'd unbuttoned and unzipped them and he raised his ass so that she could slide them down.

Logan was pleasantly surprised by Rory displaying this dominant side, he'd seen it before of course but it had been a long time since he'd seen her this confident, a really long time, and he was enjoying letting her take control. He still couldn't believe last night had occurred or that this was actually happening, that he was here in Rory's apartment and they were both completely naked.

His thoughts were interrupted as his attention was drawn to the fact that Rory had grasped hold of him and her lips had closed around the head of his cock. He moaned and ran his fingers through her hair while she rhythmically moved up and down. Her mouth felt so good, too good, and for a moment he almost thought he was dreaming. His breathing had become ragged, tiny moans escaping him. He knew he was moments away from losing control and he knew that when he did, he wanted to be inside her.

"Rory, stop, I don't want to come yet" he whispered.

Rory pulled away and made her way up his body to kiss him. She straddled him and continued kissing him long and slow before she slid down and guided him into her. Logan let his hands rest on her hips as she began to move slowly before stroking her sides and cupping her breasts. Rory bent lower so he could take one in his mouth and as he did he began thrusting up to meet her. He moved his hands back to her hips, guiding her before he dropped a hand down to massage her as she rode him. With her eyes closed and her mouth hanging open to let her moans escape, she continued slowly moving up and down him.

As she started riding him harder, Logan could feel an orgasm just beginning to well up within him. He slid a hand back down to her hip, to pull her down onto him as he raised his ass up off the bed to push into her as much as he could. Finally, she dropped down onto him and let out a low moan of pleasure as he felt a shudder pass through her. She rode out a long and obviously intense orgasm, the sound of which was enough alone to tip Logan over the edge, his own orgasm having built to an almost unbelievable level of pleasure.

She opened her eyes and smiled at him, both still trying to catch their breath.

"That was…wow" Logan said as he pulled her down off him, bringing her face to face and wrapped his arms around her. "Not what I expected tonight," he said wiping the sweat from his brow.

They lay there in Rory's bed, contented in each other's arms for a few moments before Logan spoke again.

"So, we are really going to do this?" he said.

Rory smiled up at him. "I guess we are."

Logan looked at her. "But we're not messing around here Rory. If we're doing this, we're doing it properly right? Because I think we both know that there's too much at stake here" he said as he traced circles on her spine.

Rory nodded. She knew exactly what he was talking about. The last thing either of them wanted to do was destroy the friendship that they'd worked hard to maintain over the past few years or make things difficult or unpleasant for Ava. Starting a relationship was always going to be a risk but it was definitely one that Rory thought was worth taking.

"No messing" she shook her head "I'm completely in Logan, I want all of you too," she said as she leaned in and kissed him.

* * *

A/N: What more smut? You're welcome. They'll be no stopping these two now...


	19. Navigation

"Dragonfly Inn, Lorelai speaking," Lorelai said. She was on complete autopilot as she absentmindedly answered the phone at the front desk at the Inn.

"I thought you might like to be the first to know that Logan and I…we are now completely official," Rory said proudly, although it felt very strange saying it out loud.

Lorelai smiled. "What? Who is this?"

"Mom" Rory groaned.

"Oh Rory, it's you" she joked. "So you've talked about it and you're together now?"

"We are," Rory said. "We are definitely one hundred percent together."

"And how exactly is that going to work?" Lorelai asked cautiously. "I mean, with Ava…are you going to tell her?"

"I actually don't know about that yet, but we're together, and it's serious but we're not going to rush things so…" Rory trailed off.

"It's serious already?" Lorelai said slightly surprised.

"It has to be Mom" Rory shrugged "Neither of us is going to risk making Ava unhappy for just a casual fling."

"I guess not…and you're really both completely on the same page Rory. I just hate the thought of you getting clobbered again."

"Yeah, we're on the same page." Rory smiled "We love each other"

"Well I am happy for you kiddo," Lorelai said. "If this is what you want, then you should go for it and grab it with both hands."

* * *

A few days later, Logan came around to collect Ava for their usual mid-week dinner date. Rory greeted him at the door to her apartment and as Ava was around, he leaned in to kiss her chastely on the cheek as he normally would.

Rory couldn't help but feel that the whole scenario felt a little weird. He was her boyfriend now but they weren't exactly acting like it. However, it was early days in their relationship and they'd both decided that for now, their usual routine should continue as much as possible for Ava's sake. Rory was okay with that, her daughter's happiness would always be the priority, but it just felt strange when all she wanted to do was touch him and she felt like she had to be super restrained for the time being.

"Ava, you're going to need to go get your jacket if you're going out with daddy?" Rory said to the little girl who happily skipped back off to her bedroom.

She looked up at smiled at Logan. "So, is it just me or does this feel weird to you too? she said as she fiddled with her hair.

Logan smiled back at her. "A little but I'm sure it will get easier with time."

"Yeah," Rory said.

"I guess we probably need to think about what we're going to tell Ava at some point?" Logan said.

"Yeah, I thought about that a little but I'm not really sure." Rory wrinkled her nose. "Do you think we need to tell her anything just yet? I mean, it's really only been a few days…"

Logan shrugged as he was about to say something else but Ava came running back and grabbed his hand. "Are you ready to go Ava?" he asked.

Ava nodded and smiled "Bye mommy," she said as Rory leaned down to kiss her.

"Bye, have fun both of you," she said as she closed the door.

Rory leaned back against the door. That whole exchange had felt quite odd. She really did hope that things would become more natural between them, and soon.

* * *

Later that evening, after they'd had dinner Logan brought Ava back to Rory's apartment. He got her ready for bed and tucked her in as he had done so many times before and then joined Rory in the kitchen where she was just cleaning up from her own evening meal.

"She's all tucked up," Logan said making Rory jump. She hadn't been aware he was standing in the doorway watching her.

"Oh, that's great, thanks" Rory smiled. "Do you…want to stay for a drink or something?" she said nervously. She didn't know why she was so on edge, this was just Logan she kept trying to remind herself.

"Rory…" Logan said as he put his hands on her hips and pulled her a little closer. "Don't make this weird," he said as he kissed the top of her head.

She closed her eyes "I know, I'm sorry, it just feels really awkward you know? It's a change to our routine. You know I don't do well with change." She laughed.

"It's a good change though Ace, remember that" Logan smiled "and yeah, a drink sounds good."

Rory and Logan sat together on the sofa for a while, chatting about anything and everything. It felt just like old times – they were completely relaxed and happy just spending time reconnecting with each other but as would be expected with a newly reconciled couple, a drink quickly turned into something much much more as they got closer to each other on the sofa.

Logan couldn't wait anymore he needed to touch her; it was driving him crazy being this close to her. He moved himself closer and tipped Rory's chin up with his hand before he lowered his lips to hers. While his touch was tentative and soft, Rory felt like it was setting her body on fire and she was aware of the tingling sensation between her legs as her pulse quickened. She was amazed that he could have this effect on her. As their tongues began to explore each other's mouths their kissing became more eager.

Logan stood and pulled Rory up with him. They continued to kiss deeply while they slowly made their way towards the bedroom. Rory had already got to work, her fingers unbuttoning his shirt and as they entered the bedroom, Rory broke away from their kiss long enough to remove his shirt. Logan slid his hands down her body and grabbed the hem of her top, gently lifting it over her head.

He wrapped his arms around her body and gently trailed his fingers down her back as he made his way down to cup her ass before bringing them around to unbutton her jeans and pull them down. Rory fumbled with Logan's belt and open his jeans to allow them to fall to the floor. They brought their lips back together and Logan inhaled sharply as felt her soft hands on his body, moving down to feel his arousal. He was already hard and he could feel her stroking him through his underwear as they continued to kiss.

After a few moments, Rory broke away and made her way to the bed. Logan kicked off his jeans before joining her. He laid her back on the bed and moved his lips to her neck as his hands slid around her back to undo her bra. Once the offending article had been removed, Logan moved down to kiss her chest and swirled his tongue in circles around her nipples.

"Mmmmm that feels so good Logan" Rory whispered as she arched her back.

Logan moved down her body to gently and slowly remove her panties and as he crawled back up on top of she slid her hands down his body and pushed his boxers away. Logan brought his lips crashing down on hers again and she wrapped her arms and legs around his body as they made out like there was no tomorrow.

Rory could feel his hardness pressing on her and after a few more minutes of kissing she moved herself to show what Logan exactly what she wanted. Logan kissed Rory again as he felt her hands guide him into to her opening. Slowly he pushed into her. Rory broke their kiss and let out a gasp as he entered her, continuing into a low moan as he slowly pushed further into her.

All Logan could think was how great it felt and they held still for a moment with him deep inside her as he kissed the sensitive spot on her neck. She hooked her legs around his thighs and held him in her arms. Her eyes closed were closed and she was completely lost in the moment.

Rory's breathing became deeper and more vocal as Logan began to slowly grind against her. He could feel her fingernails lightly pressing on his back as he slowly increased the pressure.

Rory gasped "Oh my god, that feels incredible…I'm so close."

Logan could feel her fingernails digging deeper into his skin and he needed no further encouragement as he began to pick up the pace. He moved down to take a nipple into his mouth, sucking on it hard. He heard her gasp and Logan pushed harder into her, feeling his own orgasm building. Rory held him even tighter and moaned even louder. The sound of her moaning breathlessly into his ear drove him over the edge and as his body tensed her own release washed over her in powerful waves as she called his name loudly.

Logan felt like time had stopped and this moment could last forever. His past few times with Rory had felt like the best sex of this life. He looked into her beautiful blue eyes before kissing her once again. "That was amazing," Logan said as he rolled off Rory and onto his back as curled up next to him and put her head on his chest. He drew Rory into a tight embrace; her body pressed firmly against his. She fit so perfectly into his arms, he knew in that moment that he never wanted to let her go.

They lay like that for a while and they must have fallen asleep at some point, because that is where they were, still wrapped in each other's arms, when Logan woke up a few hours later. He looked over at the clock to see that it was 3 am and groaned quietly. Rory and Logan had agreed that there would be no sleeping over until Ava was fully aware of everything, so he knew that as much as he didn't want to, he needed to get up and go home.

"Rory" he whispered gently. She looked so peaceful, he didn't really want to wake her up but he knew she'd be upset if he just disappeared without saying anything.

"Rory" he repeated, shaking her lightly.

She lifted her head slightly from the pillow. "What's the matter?" she said sleepily.

"I had better go," he said, "It's gone 3 am"

"Oh," she said as she rubbed her eyes. She sat up a little as he started to get out bed to collect up his clothes. "I don't remember falling asleep."

"Me neither" Logan smiled.

"Don't go," Rory said as she looked at Logan.

"What?" he looked at her.

"Just stay...please?" she said with a sleepy smile.

Logan paused. "But you said…"

"I know. I know what I said but Ava will be okay. You slept over at Christmas, I'm pretty sure that she won't think anything of it." Rory reasoned.

"Well only if you're sure…" he said.

"I'm sure," she said as she pulled on his arm "Now, get back into bed and let's go back to sleep," she said as she snuggled into him.

* * *

When Rory woke up again a few hours later, there was no sign of Logan in her bed. She had a slight memory of an alarm clock going off. She looked over at the clock to see that it was 7 am and groaned. She really didn't want to get out of bed but she was due to go into the office that day so knew she was going to have to drag her sorry ass out of bed. She threw her feet out of bed and walked into the kitchen where Logan was stood preparing breakfast. Rory smiled as she saw Ava standing on a stool next to him trying to help him with whatever they were doing.

"What's going on in here then?" Rory said making both Logan and Ava jump.

"We're making breakfast for you mommy," Ava said proudly as she wiped her face with her hand, covering her head in flour in the process.

Rory leaned down to kiss her daughter on the head. "Is that right?" she said she looked at Logan with a raised eyebrow. She reached out and squeezed his arm as a way of acknowledgement. He just smiled at her and shrugged.

"It was Daddy's idea," Ava said. "Mommy, did Daddy have a sleepover again?"

Rory bit her lip and looked at Logan "Erm, yes, he did baby. Is that okay with you?"

Ava nodded "Yes, I like Daddy," she said matter of factly.

Rory smiled at Logan but couldn't stop herself laughing at their funny little girl.

"Haha. Well, that's good. I'll tell you a secret Ava, I like daddy too. Perhaps we should keep him?" she said with a wink.


	20. Into The Fire

It was Logan's usual weekend to have Ava and so as not to disrupt her routine too much, he stopped by collected her after work as he normally would and whisked her off for a weekend of fun at Daddy's apartment. Logan still really loved his weekends with Ava, it had always been their precious time that they got to spend alone together and although he'd seen her a little more than usual recently, the daddy and daughter bonding time meant the world to both of them.

It still felt a little weird to Rory that they were together in every other sense of the word but continued to look after Ava separately, however they hadn't yet fully broached the subject with Ava so they decided to keep things as they were for a little longer until they'd found a way to tell her about their new relationship.

In the meantime, weird as it might feel, Rory wasn't going to lie, she completely relished having some time to herself on the weekends after being on mom duty all week. As she had her Saturday morning completely free she had arranged to meet Steph for lunch.

"Is Ava with Logan today?" Steph asked as she sat opposite from Rory in their usual meeting spot.

Rory nodded as she took a bite of her sandwich "Yeah, it's his turn to be "dance mom" and take Ava to her Saturday morning ballet class."

"Nice. I'm going to presume that this is a completely different class given the circumstances..." Steph said with a smirk.

"Oh yes," Rory grimaced "There was no way that I was ever going to feel comfortable going back there, so we had to move her to another one."

"Unlucky, but you know what they say don't you? Don't shit where you eat. You should probably remind Logan of that one" Steph laughed.

Rory rolled her eyes at her friend and accidentally let out a big yawn that had been threatening to escape for a while.

"Am I boring you, Rory? Late night?" Steph said with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"No," Rory said pointedly. "Not last night anyhow..."

Steph laughed and shook her head. "Jeez Rory, don't you guys ever stop humping each other?"

Rory blushed a little. "How do you...do you know what, it doesn't matter..." she said holding her hands up in defense "I'm not going to apologize for it, we're making up for lost time. Plus, I cannot get enough at the moment."

"It's that good huh?" Steph said.

Rory smiled and nodded "It's that good."

"Damn," said Steph. "I always heard the rumors about Logan in college, you're telling me they were all true?"

"All true" Rory nodded and smiled. "In fact, I'm not sure they did him justice, to be honest..." she said with a wink.

Steph laughed. "So, Logan has been staying over then...that's kind of something, isn't it? Have you told Ava yet that mommy and daddy are doing the horizontal mambo?"

Rory laughed. "Not yet, and I seriously doubt that's the terminology I'll use when I do get around to telling her..."

"You're going to tell her though?" Steph asked carefully. Once Rory and Logan told their daughter that they were a couple, there really was no going back for them. She was so keen for them to take that next step.

"Yeah, I've got to. I mean, he's coming around a lot more..." she stopped when Steph interrupted her.

"Well sure, when there's sex on tap 24/7 who wouldn't?"

Rory rolled her eyes and ignored her friend. "And we're going to have to tell Logan's parents at some point so...she needs to know before they do because they'll surely delight in trying to screw me over in some way."

Steph pulled a face. She was about as keen on Logan's parents as Rory was. "Ugh, I don't envy you having to have that conversation"

* * *

On Sunday, Logan had to drop Ava off early at Rory's, as he had to get ready to go on a business trip for a few days. Before he had left Rory had spoken to him about telling Ava about their relationship and Logan had agreed that it was probably a good idea to do it sooner rather than later. He'd offered for them to do it all together but Rory felt that it might be better for her to deal with it on a one-to-one basis so she took Ava to her favourite ice cream place.

Rory let Ava devour most of her Rocky Road ice-cream sundae before she decided to tackle the "mommy has a boyfriend" subject. She didn't know why she was so nervous about talking to a four-year-old, but Ava wasn't just like any small girl her age, she was very perceptive.

"Ava honey, mommy needs to talk to you about something and it's very important that you listen to me okay?" Rory said.

"Have I been bad?" Ava looked her up at her mom, her blue eyes displaying a little bit of fear.

"Oh no honey, you've not been bad" Rory said with a smile "I just need to talk to you about daddy."

Ava looked at Rory with interest.

"So daddy didn't just have a sleepover..." Rory paused and sighed. She really didn't know how best to approach this with her daughter and she was so scared of getting it all wrong. She changed her tactic. "Ava, you know how daddy had a girlfriend?"

"Miss Sarah" Ava nodded. "She's not his girlfriend anymore though."

"No, you're quite right, she's not his girlfriend" Rory confirmed.

"I'm glad she's not his girlfriend" Ava wrinkled her nose.

"Really? Why is that Ava? You didn't like her?" Rory asked but Ava just shrugged and carried on eating her ice cream. She decided not to push the matter, it really wasn't important in the scheme of things. "The thing is sweetie, and this might seem a little strange to you at first but mommy is now daddy's girlfriend, kind of just like we used to be before you were born..." Rory paused for her daughter's reaction.

Ava's eyes widened as she looked at Rory. "Daddy is your boyfriend!" she giggled "That's funny."

Rory breathed out a sigh of relief. Laughing was a good sign. "That's right."

"Are you going to kiss him? Like in the movies?" Ava asked and pulled a face.

"Probably" Rory laughed. "So this does mean that daddy will probably be spending a lot more time with us, but that's only if it's ok with you?"

Ava pouted for a moment. "Does it mean we can have more sleepovers because I like when Daddy comes round, he makes me pancakes."

Rory smiled "I'm sure daddy will sleep over again and if you ask him nicely, he'll definitely make you pancakes," she said smiling at her daughter. Ava was as obsessed with her food as Lorelai and Rory were, the apple sure didn't fall far from the tree. "So you don't mind at all?"

"Why would I mind silly mommy" Ava said as she finished up her ice cream. "Daddy always makes you smile"

* * *

After Rory tucked Ava into bed that night she settled down on the sofa to call Logan. She knew that he'd be in his hotel somewhere now.

"Hey Ace, how did it go?" he said as he answered the phone.

"It went really well," Rory said "Ava accepted it no problem, but to be honest I think she's just won over by you having sleepovers here and making her pancakes for breakfast. You know the way to a Gilmore girl's heart is through her tummy" she joked.

"That is so very true" Logan laughed "Well I'm glad it went well and I look forward to many many more sleepovers."

"Me too" she smiled. "You made it to Jackson okay then? What is even in Jackson?"

"A newspaper that my father wants to buy. I'm apparently here to check it out." Logan said.

"Sounds interesting?" Rory was always amazed at how the Huntzbergers were just able to go after whatever they wanted – and usually, they got it.

"It's not really. The Clarion-Ledger, have you heard of it?" he asked.

"I have actually, that's a nice paper, that's been going for a really long time? Would be a nice acquisition for HPG I guess. So when are you back?" she asked.

Logan paused for a moment before answering. "Well, that's something I needed to talk to you about."

"Uh oh, I am not liking the sound of this..." Rory wondered exactly what was coming next.

"With good reason" Logan laughed "I'm back on Wednesday and I was wondering if you would come to dinner with my parents that night..."

"Is this some sort of sick joke?" she asked.

"No. I thought it would be a good time to tell them about...us. My mom is constantly on my case at the moment about setting me up on dates, this way, if she knew that I was seeing somebody, she'd leave me alone," Logan reasoned.

Rory groaned "I really can't say no to this can I?"

"Not really" he laughed.

"It's a good job I like you Huntzberger" she muttered.

"So that's a yes? You'll come with me to break the happy news?" Logan said hopefully.

"That's a yes," she said, "but you had better make it up to me!"

* * *

"Remind me again exactly why I am doing this?" Rory turned to Logan as they stood outside the doors to the Huntzberger family home. It didn't matter how many times she went to that house, the same feeling of dread would sweep over her.

Logan put his arm around her waist and pulled her in tightly to him before planting a big kiss on her lips. "That's why." He didn't enjoy bringing Rory to his parent's house when their relationship was so strained but he knew he'd have to face it head on at some point and there was no point delaying the inevitable.

"I suppose that's a good enough reason" she smiled as they walked into the house where Mitchum and Shira were waiting for them in the dining room.

"Ah Logan you're here, we were wondering what was keeping you..." Shira paused as she saw just who her son was standing hand in hand with. "Rory," she said as she fixed on her society smile. "How lovely to see you again...and unexpected," she said looking at Logan.

Rory was about to open her mouth to speak but Logan decided that it was probably safer if he jumped right in.

"Mom, Dad, sit down please," he said as everyone moved to take a seat.

"No Ava tonight?" Mitchum asked Rory. Despite all his faults, and he had many, Mitchum always looked forward to seeing his granddaughter.

"No" Rory smiled politely "She's with Steph for the evening"

Logan cleared his throat "We came to tell you before you might find out from anybody else, that Rory and I...well we're together now" he said as he squeezed her hand for reassurance.

Rory turned and smiled at him.

"And we're planning to make a real go of it" he added. "I know that you'll have your opinions on everything we are doing wrong but I hope that you can respect this, for all of our sakes, and not least for Ava."

Nobody in the room said a word. The tension at the table was palpable. Shira looked less than impressed with the news but she was at least doing the decent thing and keeping her thoughts to herself.

"Well," Mitchum said as he turned to Shira "This is good news, isn't it? A family reunited? I'm sure Ava must be over the moon that her parents are back together" he said as he took a swig of his scotch.

Rory raised an eyebrow at Logan. She was always extremely wary of Mitchum and Shira when they were playing nice.

"She's happy about it, yes" Logan smiled.

"That's very good" Mitchum nodded. "Well, shall we eat?" he looked at everyone.

As dinner was served the conversation turned around to work.

"So Rory, how are things going at the Courant?" Mitchum asked her.

Rory swallowed the bite of food she had just taken. "Erm, very well thank you," she said "Ed is really easy to work for"

"Good, I'm glad to hear it. Maybe we'll see some a byline or two from you in the future?"

"Oh, well I wouldn't necessarily hold your breath on that one, I'm still getting into the swing of things..."

"Nonsense, you're a talented writer, isn't that right Logan?" Mitchum looked across at his son. "Or else Logan would have never got Ed to hire you I am sure."

"Rory is an excellent writer" Logan stepped in "She's just what the Courant needs to liven it up a bit" he smiled at her.

"Indeed. I'll have to keep my eye out for your work Rory" Mitchum nodded at her.

Rory picked up her glass of wine and knocked it back, hating herself for how she allowed Mitchum and Shira to make her feel so small. She was never sure if it was intentional on their part or it harked back to previous experiences and it was her own self-conscious getting the better of her. Either way, she couldn't wait to get out of there.

The rest of the dinner went off without a hitch. Shira and Mitchum remained politely reserved in their conversation and nobody even once called Rory a gold-digging tramp, much to her relief. As they got back into Logan's Porsche, they reflected on the evening.

"Well we survived!" he said as he kissed her gently on the lips. "Thanks for coming"

"Why do I feel like this is far from over?" Rory groaned.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for your continued support and lovely comments - I do read and consider each and every one and they mean the world, and keep me writing, I think I'd update a lot less often if it wasn't for you lovely people keeping me motivated!


	21. It's Complicated

Rory walked back into the Hartford Courant for the first time since Christmas. She was still working up to taking on a bigger role so she'd managed to take a decent amount of time off over the Christmas and New Year break to be with Ava.

As she was sat her desk that morning, her colleague Becky, who was a major gossip was keen to talk about the holidays. Rory, on the other hand, would have much rather have said nothing at all, as she wasn't exactly keen to flaunt her new relationship around the office quite yet.

"Hey, Rory, did you have a nice Christmas and New Year? What did you do?" Becky asked sweetly.

"I did thank you, I mainly spent it with my family" Rory smiled politely. "Did you have a nice time?"

"Ugh," Becky said "Not really, lots of dull family parties and not even a hint of a man to kiss under the mistletoe. Thoroughly disappointing. Say, you're single aren't you Rory? I mean you're not dating anyone at the moment? We should totally go out soon, try and find ourselves some hot guys." Becky said pulling her diary out of her bag "Let's make a date right now!"

"Oh well, I…" Rory stammered, wondering how she was going to extract herself from this. A night out with Becky was not high on her list of things to do, not now, not ever. "Well, the thing is, I'm not actually single." Rory inwardly cringed. She hated talking about her personal life at work at the best of times and that applied even more now that she was dating Logan.

"You're not?" Becky looked at her with interest "I thought you said…"

"It's new" Rory smiled. "But I really don't want to talk about it too much, you know, I just don't want to jinx it" she whispered. She needed to say anything to get Becky off her back.

"Understood," Becky said tapping her nose.

They went back to their work but Rory was a little distracted as she sat and tried to concentrate on the article she was trying to draft. When she had taken the job she had told Ed, the editor-in-chief, that there was nothing going on with Logan but now that the situation had changed, she kind of felt that she needed to be upfront and honest with her editor about the potential conflict of interest, as she really liked working with him.

She stood outside Ed's office and tapped lightly at the door.

"Yes?" Ed called "Oh Rory," he said, "What can I do for you?"

"I just wondered if I could have a quick word?" Rory said tentatively as she hovered by the door.

"Sure, come in". Ed sat back in his chair and looked at her "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything is fine" she paused "It's just…I really want to be honest with you."

"Okay…" Ed said intrigued. He could tell that Rory was a bit nervous about whatever it was she wanted to say.

"Well you know that I have a child, Ava and you know that her father is Logan Huntzberger…." she trailed off.

Ed nodded. He was only too well aware that she was linked to the Huntzbergers. As much as she didn't want to be treated differently, he was a little wary, knowing that ultimately the Huntzbergers were responsible for his paycheck at the end of the month. The last thing he wanted to do was get on the wrong side of one of them.

"And when I started here told you that there was nothing between us, and at the time that was absolutely correct but well, we kind of reconciled over the holidays," she said. "I know this isn't exactly relevant to my work here and you're probably wondering why I am foisting my private life on you at all, but I guess I thought that it was only prudent to let you know that I am actually now dating the bosses son." Rory grimaced.

"Wow, okay," Ed said.

"I really don't want that to change anything in any way, I'm not spying or going to be in cahoots with the Huntzbergers or anything…" Rory rolled her eyes.

"Nice use of the word cahoots Gilmore" Ed smirked.

"Thanks" she laughed "but seriously, nothing has changed between myself and Mitchum – we're still not top of each other's Christmas cards lists. I just happen to be in love with his son is all."

Ed looked at her. "So it's pretty serious between you guys then?"

"Erm, well it's really early days so I wouldn't like to say too much but yeah, I guess in the future…I mean, we already have a child" she laughed "It doesn't get much more serious than that does it."

"You're right Rory" he laughed. "Well, I appreciate you telling me. There will be zero weirdness from me but expect there to be some talk when this gets out…"

* * *

Towards the end of the week, Rory decided to go to the Huntzberger Publishing Group offices in Hartford to surprise Logan for lunch. Ava was spending the afternoon with Richard and Emily and Rory and Logan hadn't really managed to see much of each other that week. She happened to know that he was pretty free all day.

She walked through the glossy entrance of HGP and announced herself to the receptionist that was sitting behind the big marble desk in the middle of the foyer.

The receptionist looked up at Rory as she approached the desk. "Hello, may I help you?"

"Yes, I'm here to see Logan Huntzberger," Rory said.

"Is he expecting you?" the receptionist asked.

"I don't think so. Could you please tell him that Rory Gilmore is here to see him?" Rory said.

"I'll just try his office now," She said "Hello, Mr Huntzberger? I am sorry to bother you but I have a Rory Gilmore here to see you? Okay, yes…very well. Thank you, Sir" The receptionist turned to Rory with a smile that was almost verging on sarcastic. "You may go through," she said before turning away from Rory to answer a call.

"Thank you" Rory made her way through to Logan's office. She'd been here once or twice before but under rather different circumstances.

"Knock knock," she said as she tapped at the door.

"Well isn't this a surprise" Logan smiled as he looked up and saw Rory standing by the door. "Come in!"

Rory walked into his office and looked around. Nothing much had changed since the last time she had been there – that was except for what was now hanging on the wall in front of her.

"Oh my God," she said with a gasp. "You put it on your office wall?" she turned to look at Logan.

There hanging proudly on the wall in all its glory was the canvas that Rory had given Logan as a Christmas present.

"Yes….shouldn't I have?" he said as he looked at her.

"No! I mean yes, I guess it's up to you…it's just that everyone will see it…" Rory said.

Logan smiled "Does that really matter? Everyone has pictures of their kids in their office Ace, it's not unusual, and I happen to be very proud of my little family."

Rory felt her heart melt a little. "No, I guess I am just surprised that's all."

Logan shrugged. "I seem to spend more time in here than I do anywhere else. If I've got to sit in an office all day I'd rather do it looking at my girls" he said with a wink as he pulled her down on to his lap. "Plus, it's an awesome picture, we look very happy."

"We do look happy, but I think that's probably because two minutes before that picture was taken we were making out on my bed" she laughed.

"Oh, you're right" Logan laughed. "That must be it. Anyhow, to what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?"

"I haven't seen you much in the past few days so I thought we could have lunch," Rory said handing him the bag of food.

They sat and talked while they ate their lunch at his desk. It was the first time that they'd ever done anything like that and they both thought how nice it felt just to take that time out of their working day to see each other.

"What are you doing now?" Logan asked as Rory packed up the remains of their lunch.

"Going into the Courant and then I have to pick Ava up from my grandparents," she said.

"Why don't I come and get you from the Courant in a bit and then we'll get Ava together and go for a walk in the park or something," Logan said.

Rory smiled "That sounds nice but I'm going to finish at 3 pm? Is that not a bit early?"

"I think I can sneak off early every once in a while Ace, it kind of comes with the territory" he smirked.

* * *

Rory was just packing up her stuff in the office when she saw Logan walk in. In fact, even before she saw Logan walk in, she could feel the buzz around her so she knew that something was up. Everyone recognised the young Huntzberger. They were all fully aware that he was the son of the CEO and that one-day he would be taking over HPG and ultimately become their boss at some point and it always put people on edge a little.

"Hey," he said as he walked over to her desk and put his hand on her back.

"Did you really have to come all the way in?" she said quietly as she noticed everyone looking at them. "These lot are going to feed off this for ages. They'll talk about us for days"

"Oh let them, what's the big deal? We may as well just put it out there" he shrugged. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, come on" She shook her head, picked her bag and followed him out of the office while her colleagues whispered behind her.

They jumped into Rory's SUV and drove to her grandparent's house to collect their daughter. When they got there Ava was excitedly running around the house and Rory had to try and hold back a smile at Emily trying to contain this smart, energetic four-year-old which thanks to the fatal combination of Gilmore and Huntzberger genes was pretty much able to run circles around most of the adults she knew.

"Ava, now stop," Emily said as she tried to catch hold of the little whirlwind whizzing around them. "Your mother and father are here to pick you up."

Ava stopped in her tracks and looked up at Logan with her big blue eyes. "Daddy! Are you sleeping over with mommy again tonight?"

The amused smile that had been plastered on Rory's face dropped immediately when she heard her grandfather Richard splutter on his drink. She looked over at Logan who was trying to suppress a smirk.

"Erm, Ava, why don't you and I go and wait in the car for mommy," he said leading her out by the hand. "Emily, Richard, it was nice to see you" he nodded in acknowledgement while Emily glared at her granddaughter.

As soon as Ava and Logan were out of earshot Rory braced herself for what was going to come. Her grandmother was not going to approve and of course, she would let that be known.

"Rory! What is going on?" Emily demanded.

Rory took a deep breath "Well, I've been meaning to tell you…I probably should have told you already, but Logan and I…well we're kind of seeing each other again"

"Kind of seeing each other. What does that even mean?" Emily looked at her granddaughter sternly.

"Exactly that. We're together. He's my boyfriend, I am his girlfriend" Rory said pointedly. She was no longer a child but yet her grandparents still managed to make her feel like she was sixteen years old.

Emily raised an eyebrow. "And you're sleeping together"

Rory cringed at hearing Emily say that, even though it should be perfectly obvious that with a child, the likelihood would be that they were.

"Well…" Rory started.

"In your apartment?" Emily asked.

"Grandma, with all due respect, I'm not sure that's any of your business," Rory said.

Richard walked over to where Emily and Rory were stood. "The girl is right Emily, leave them be, they're adults now, where they sleep is no concern of ours."

"Very well, I shall say no more," Emily said, "Though it's not the sleeping I am worried about…"

"Thank you," Rory said gratefully "Look, I had better go. Logan and Ava are waiting outside for me…"

She said her goodbyes to her grandparents and Rory went outside to the car and opened the door. "Thanks for that" Rory said as she got into the car next to Logan.

"What did I do?" Logan said playing innocent.

"You abandoned me in there!" she exclaimed. "I was Gilmored!"

"If anyone can handle your grandparents Ace, it's you. Besides, do you really care what they think?" Logan asked.

Rory thought about what Logan said for a moment. Did she care what anybody thought? She guessed on some level she must, but ultimately she knew that their relationship had nothing to do with anyone else.

They sat in the park and watched Ava play, Logan having to get up and down several times to push her on the swings. Rory admired his seemingly never-ending patience with her as she knew that she would have got fed up with her daughter's demands a long time ago but Ava had her daddy right where she wanted him – wrapped around her little finger.

After the park, Rory dropped Logan back off at the Hartford Courant offices where he had left his car when he had met her earlier. He leaned over to kiss Rory goodbye as he got out of the car. "So, I'll see you at the weekend I guess?"

Their goodbyes always felt a little awkward, like neither of them really wanted to say it and they were still both learning what was acceptable – should they see each other every day? Was once or twice a week like normal enough? Rory thought it was definitely a bit of a learning curve and while she wanted to see him as much as possible she really didn't want Logan to think that she was being too demanding.

"Yeah" Rory smiled. "The weekend sounds good"

"Okay then," he said. "Ava, be good for mommy this week and I'll see you in a few days okay?"

Ava waved at him as he closed the door and Rory pulled the car out of the car park. "Mommy, I want daddy," she said sadly.

Rory looked in the rear view mirror at her daughter. Ava had rarely got sad about leaving Logan, she'd always been very accepting of the situation as she had known no different. "Oh honey, you'll see him in just a few days."

"But I miss him now" Ava pouted.

"I know you do sweetie," Rory said trying to soothe her daughter.

"So why can't he come home with us," Ava asked.

"You know daddy has his own home and he has to go to work…" Rory said "He can't be with us all the time"

"Oh," Ava said quietly as she looked out of the window.

When they got home to their apartment, Rory made a quick dinner for her and Ava and then she got the little girl ready for bed. She lay down next to her as she read her one of her favourite stories and slowly Ava drifted off to sleep. Rory looked across at her sleeping daughter, she reminded her of Logan every time she looked at her. She always had done which was part of the reason that Rory had always found it so hard to move on from him.

As she lay on her own bed, in her head, Rory replayed the conversation she'd had with Ava in the car. Maybe having Logan around them more was already taking its toll. Ava had never really expressed any emotion about leaving Logan before, apart from the usual toddler tantrums, but this felt different somehow. She had been sad and was clearly all of a sudden finding the separation harder to deal with and Rory didn't like that all, but she wasn't sure what to do about it.


	22. Worries and Woes

The next morning after a restless night's sleep Rory headed into work. When she arrived at the Courant offices she could sense that everyone had been gossiping as she walked in, and she knew that most likely it was about her. Something that was confirmed when she sat down at her desk next to Becky.

"So…Huntzberger junior is your new boyfriend?" Becky asked with a raised eyebrow. "How did you land him? I hear he's been an eligible bachelor for quite some time now…"

Rory wasn't really sure how to answer the question but before she could even open her mouth to speak Becky continued.

"Have you been to his parent's house? I heard that they live in a massive mansion here in Hartford. Ooh, do you know his father – THE Mitchum Huntzberger? You'll get a promotion here for sure." Becky rambled on. "You have a daughter right? Has she met him?"

Rory took a deep breath, wondering which question Becky wanted to tackle first.

"Rory?" Becky prompted.

She put her pen down and smiled sweetly at Becky. "Yes, Logan and I are together. I didn't 'land' him, we went to college together, we first met when I was nineteen. Yes, I've been to his parent's house many times and yes I do know THE Mitchum Huntzberger but I very much doubt that fact will lead me to a promotion anytime soon" Rory took a breath from her rant and noticed her other colleagues were listening in with interest. "And yes, Logan has met my daughter. In fact, the first time Logan met Ava was when she took her very first breath because she happens to be his daughter too. Does that answer all your questions?" she snapped back at Becky.

Becky looked at Rory a little stunned and without saying a word, she swivelled her chair around to carry on with her work. Rory looked up and the rest of her colleagues suddenly busied themselves, embarrassed that they got caught gossiping and listening in and suddenly very aware that Rory had influence. Nobody else said anything more to Rory that morning. They were all a little taken aback at Rory's outburst as she was normally so reserved. They were also surprised to learn that the unassuming part-time features writer was dating one of the most eligible men on the Eastern seaboard.

When lunchtime rolled around, she decided to step outside to get some fresh air and catch up with Logan.

Logan looked at the caller ID and answered the call. "Hey Ace, how are you?"

"Hey," she said a little wearily.

"What's the matter?" Logan said. He could sense that something was up.

"Oh it's just been a bad morning at the office, I needed to hear a friendly voice that's all" she smiled a little.

"I love that you call me when you're having a bad day" Logan smiled.

"I'm sorry, are you busy?" Rory said.

"No, I mean I really do love it. I like being the person you come to when you need cheering up. So what's bothering you?" Logan asked.

"Oh," Rory smiled. "I was just getting a bit fed up with Hartford's gossip hounds. The questions fired at me this morning were incessant."

"Well, it is a newsroom, you should expect a little gossip, they're pros." he laughed.

"Oh I do, but I would just prefer to be the gossiper rather than the gossipee" Rory smiled.

"Look, I'm out of the office all day today, stuck in meetings, but why don't you come over to mine for dinner tonight? I'll cook something nice and I can help you relax. What do you say?"

"I know what your idea of relaxing involves Huntzberger and I'm not sure it's child-friendly," she said as she reminded him that she'd have Ava in tow.

Logan thought for a moment. "Take Ava to Honor's house on your way, I'll give her a call. She loves to spend time with her, I'm sure she won't mind."

Rory bit on her lip. She liked the idea of seeing Logan that night and while she always loved spending time with her daughter, it would be nice for it to be just the two of them.

"Okay," she agreed.

"Great, I am hanging up and calling Honor now!"

Logan ended the call with Rory and immediately phoned his sister to ask her to babysit. "Hi sis"

"What do you want?" Honor groaned. Logan only ever called her when he wanted something, or that's what she thought anyhow – she wasn't usually wrong.

"Why do you always presume that I want something?" Logan said pretending to be hurt. "Of course it's true…"

"Aha, I knew it!" Honor exclaimed, "Come on, out with it…"

"I want a favor. I was wondering if you could look after Ava tonight? Maybe have her sleep over?" Logan said.

Honor smiled. That was the type of favor she didn't mind. She adored the little girl. "Ava? Sure. Why? It's not normally your night to have her is it?"

"No, but I've asked Rory to come over for dinner tonight, she's had a bit of rubbish day so far, and I thought it would be nice if it was just the two of us," Logan said. "I told her that it would be okay to drop Ava off at yours."

"So the rumors are true then?" Honor said with interest.

"Rumors?" Logan asked.

"That you and Rory are back on," she said.

Logan laughed a little. "In this case, yes, I can confirm that the rumors are absolutely true."

Honor paused for a moment. "Are you sure it's wise Logan? I mean, I love Rory, I really do, but what if this all goes horribly wrong and you end up hating each other?"

"I can't see that happening Honor, we've got this far without killing each other? Don't worry about anything - I feel really good about this," Logan tried to reassure his sister.

"Okay," Honor said "It's your life! Tell Rory to bring Ava by whenever she's ready."

Honor sighed as she came off the call. There was nothing in the world that she would like more than to see her baby brother happy and settled – and of course, the dream would be that would happen with Rory and Ava but she also couldn't help but feel a little worried about him. He was far more sensitive then he let on and Honor had always had the feeling that Rory had been keeping him at arm's length all these years, though she didn't really know why. They clearly loved each other. She just hoped that Rory and Logan had the same intentions about their future together.

* * *

As had been planned, Rory stopped by Honor's house to drop Ava off for the night. Ava was so excited about seeing her Auntie Honor and having a sleepover - she was one of her most favourite people in the world because she spoiled her rotten.

"Hi Honor," Rory said nervously as Logan's sister opened the door.

"Rory, come in," Honor said as she opened the door wider. "Hey girlfriend" she stooped down to Ava. "Have you come to have some fun with Auntie Honor?"

Ava nodded up and took the hand that Honor was holding out to her. They all walked into the living room together.

"Hey sweetie, do you want some pie?" Honor asked Ava.

Rory thought it was a silly question. Ava was half-Gilmore, of course, she wanted pie and this was confirmed as Ava nodded and smiled.

"Why don't you go see Uncle Josh, he's in the kitchen and I happen to know there is some amazing pie on the counter." Honor said with a wink. "Don't forget to ask for ice-cream" she shouted as Ava happily skipped off to find Josh.

"She'll be your best friend forever now" Rory laughed.

Honor smiled back before she decided to broach the subject that was on the tip of her tongue. "So, I obviously heard about you and Logan…"

"Oh, yeah" Rory smiled.

"Look, I really don't mean to be too forward or rude, and that's probably how this is going to come across, but…I need to know Rory, where is it that you see this thing going?"

"I'm sorry?" Rory looked at Honor. She was completely surprised that Honor had asked her the question outright.

"I don't mean that in a bad way at all, please don't take it the wrong way, it's just I'm a little concerned that's all" Honor said.

"I appreciate your concern Honor but, Logan and I, we're still working all of this out" Rory shrugged.

"And you think it will all work out? I mean, is this for keeps?" Honor looked at Rory.

Rory smiled a little. "I would like to hope so"

Honor nodded. "Good, I guess that's good. I'm sorry if you think I am interfering Rory, I just worry about him. He's my baby brother and I don't want to see him get hurt. He loves Ava so much."

"And Ava loves him very much, I'd never come between them. I wouldn't do that to her or to Logan, I love him." Rory said honestly. "Whatever happens between us, that hasn't changed in nearly six years, I can't see it changing anytime soon"

Honor smiled "You love him? You really love him?" she asked.

"Yeah, I do" Rory smiled.

"Well know I feel like an uber bitch giving you a hard time about all of this" Honor said pulling Rory into an embrace.

Rory smiled and hugged her back. "It's fine Honor, you're just being a protective sister, and it's kind of nice that someone is looking out for him. Anyhow, I'd better be going…I'll come and get Ava in the morning?"

"Absolutely, now go have fun with my brother," Honor said ushering her out of the door "Though, not too much…" she wrinkled her nose.

* * *

Rory arrived outside Logan's apartment. She felt really nervous for some reason which she knew was completely ridiculous but she'd never really gone there much so it was all kind of new to her. She tapped at the door and Logan swiftly opened it and greeted her with a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey, you got Ava dropped off at Honor's okay?" he asked.

"Oh yes," Rory said as she closed the door behind her.

"Oh no. Why did that sounded loaded – what happened?" Logan asked. He knew Honor could be a little forthright sometimes.

"I got interrogated over my intentions by your sister" Rory smiled.

"Ugh I'm sorry" Logan grimaced.

"But it's fine, I think I reassured her…" Rory laughed.

"Out of interest, what are your intentions…" he smirked.

"Wouldn't you like to know! They're all very innocent…" she said with a wink.

"I bet" Logan smiled.

Rory walked into Logan's open plan living and dining space to find that he had set the table ready for dinner, with flickering tea light candles dotted around the room.

"Wow, special. What's the occasion" Rory asked as Logan helped her out of her coat.

"You sounded a little down earlier, I just wanted to help you relax a little and show you how much `I love you," Logan said with a smile. "So, is everything okay now?"

"Yes, I'm sorry I bugged you earlier, it was just a bad morning and I was tired and grouchy as I didn't sleep well…."

Logan interrupted her. "You didn't? What was wrong?"

"Oh, just a few things on my mind" Rory smiled lightly.

"Anything I can help with?" Logan said as he looked at Rory.

"Oh, it's nothing really, it's just that after we left you yesterday, Ava got a little upset and it's the first time I've really seen her react like that. I've just been a bit worried that this, us, might be having a negative effect on her…"

"She got upset?" Logan said. He was a little surprised too as it was kind of out of character for her. She'd always been comfortable and secure so he didn't want to think that she was feeling unsettled right now.

"She wanted you. I explained things to her but I don't know, she was very quiet on the way home."

Logan put his arm around Rory. "I'm sure she's fine, she's a very resilient little lady and she knows that I am not going anywhere."

"Yeah…" Rory said biting her lip.

"Don't overthink this please Rory" Logan said.

"You're right" Rory nodded. "I think I am overthinking. She was very tired last night, it was probably just that. Anyway, we're meant to be relaxing - what's on the menu tonight?" she said as she sniffed the air.

"Oh, don't tempt me" Logan warned as he stood behind her. He put his hands on her waist and pulled her in closer to him.

Rory laughed. "Okay, okay, what's for dinner? Honestly, Logan, you could turn the most innocent of comments into something dirty."

"You know, I think dinner will keep…we can eat after" he said as he nuzzled into her neck.

"After? After what? That's very presumptuous" Rory teased.

"Just trying my luck," he said as he nibbled lightly on her ear.

Rory turned around to face him and he leaned in to kiss her gently as he ran one hand down her spine. She didn't know how he did it, but he always managed to make her feel like she was the most beautiful woman in the world. She returned the kiss and suddenly, in an instant, all the gentleness had disappeared and they passionately explored each other's mouths, each feeling a degree of urgency.

Logan's fingers were soon unbuttoning Rory's dress and as soon as her skin was exposed she closed her eyes to feel his lips trailing over her body. The anticipation was surging through her body as his hands explored her as if it was the first time. Rory knew she would never get used to just how good his touch felt.

His hands moved over her body quickly, removing her clothes with lightning speed. Rory was completely powerless to resist, putty in his hands. Even if she had wanted to resist, which of course she didn't, she knew that it would have been futile and so she began undressing him, lifting his t-shirt over his head and leaning down to kiss his chest.

Rory loved the way Logan reacted to her touch but all that was really going through her mind was how much she wanted him to make love to her. Right there, right then. She pressed her body hard into his and she could feel his excitement through his pants as she came crashing down onto his lips with another searing kiss. He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he moved over to the dining table and placed her down to sit on the end of it before reaching around and unclasping her bra.

Rory placed her arms around his neck and whispered softly in his ear "I want you. Now."

Logan responded by kissing the sensitive spot on her neck. He pulled her closer to him and she could feel the bulge in his trousers rubbing against her panties which were already damp. Rory reached down to free him of his pants and boxers. Now completely naked, Logan's kisses were filled with more hunger and the only thing coming between them was Rory's lace panties, but Logan made light work of them, peeling them off her slowly and throwing them to one side.

"Logan….I can't wait anymore" Rory said breathlessly.

Logan didn't need any further instruction as he gently pushed her to lay back on the table and he effortlessly slid into her. Their bodies came together and as he thrust in and out of her, he trailed his hands down her body before reaching back up to hold her wrists above her head. All Rory could think about as a shudder passed through her body was how she could happily do this all night. She enjoyed the primal feeing of Logan holding her slightly captive and having his way with her.

Rory closed her eyes as their bodies moved together. Logan leaned down to whisper into her ear "Open your eyes Rory" he said. He wanted to see into her eyes that so resembled deep blue pools. They were bottomless and seemed to draw him further and further in. Rory looked up at Logan and the feeling she had while they made love, with their hands entwined together and eyes locked was indescribable.

"God Rory. I don't know how can it feel this good" he panted as his body moved up and down over hers and they both worked towards finding their release. Logan looked at Rory as she began to climax. He was still completely in awe that this beautiful woman wanted him and only him. When she bit her lip and let out a sexy moan, it very quickly tipped him over the edge. At that moment, they were everything to each other, nothing else existed.

Their bodies were trembling as he lowered himself over her and kissed her tenderly. "I love you so much, Rory" he whispered before he slowly helped her up off the table and towards the sofa where the two of them lay snuggled up for some time, just enjoying the warmth of each other's bodies.

"Are you hungry?" Logan asked.

"Famished" Rory smiled "but I'm really not so sure about sitting at your dining table again, not until it's been thoroughly cleaned" she grimaced.

"That table has suddenly become my new favorite piece of furniture" Logan laughed. "I am NEVER getting rid of it!"


	23. Forward

Logan found himself spending more and more time with Rory and Ava, their old routine going straight out of the window. At the end of another lovely weekend together Logan he was busy tidying away some toys in Rory's apartment while she tucked Ava up in bed and tried to get her to settle down to sleep.

"Okay munchkin, I think that's enough of the story for tonight" Rory said as she placed the book down by Ava's bed.

"But I want to know what happens with the prince at the end. Does he marry Cinderella?" Ava asked with a yawn.

"You are just going to have to wait until tomorrow to find that out sweetie" Rory laughed as she leaned down to kiss her daughter goodnight. "Come on, let's get you all snuggled down," she said as she rearranged her daughter's teddy bear collection around her.

"Mommy, are you going to marry daddy?" Ava looked up at Rory with her sparkling blue eyes.

Rory was momentarily taken aback by this question that she had not been expecting and she needed a minute to compose herself before she answered. Meanwhile, Logan had just been passing the door to Ava's bedroom and happened to hear the question that she had just fired at her mommy. He paused by the door for a moment, not really want to eavesdrop on them but at the same time, he kind of wanted to know the answer himself. He was very interested to hear what Rory might have to say on the subject.

"I…erm, no sweetie I don't think so," she said gently as she perched on the edge of her daughter's bed and looked at the little girl staring up at her with her big blue eyes.

Logan exhaled and pouted a little as he stood outside the door – that was not what he wanted to hear Rory say at all and he felt a little sad if that was what she truly felt.

"You're not?" Ava said slightly disappointed.

Rory noticed her daughter's little face fall. She wasn't sure this was something she really wanted to get into right now, certainly not with Logan in the other room. The very last thing she wanted was for him to think that she was planning that far ahead.

"Well, I don't really know honey, it's not really that simple, but you never know, maybe one day. Anyhow, I know it's all about the dress for you, isn't it? You just want a nice pretty dress to wear and for me to buy you a tiara" she joked trying to lighten the mood as Ava giggled.

"A really sparkly one!"

"Well naturally" Rory smiled.

"You'd look like a princess mommy" Ava smiled.

Rory smiled. "All brides look like princesses Ava."

"But you'd be the prettiest of them all!" her daughter insisted.

Logan smiled at his daughter's words. He had to agree with that sentiment and he hoped that one day he'd get to see it.

"Like Snow White?" Rory questioned.

"No! Silly, she wasn't the prettiest, she was the fairest" Ava scolded her mommy.

"Oh silly me! I just don't know my princesses do I!" Rory smiled. "You'll have to teach me all about them. Now, missy, it's time for sleep."

Logan had heard enough. He felt a little bad for eavesdropping on Rory but then they'd never really talked about what a future together might look like. He walked away from the bedroom door and went and sat in the living room. When Rory had finished with Ava she came in to find him.

"Hey," she said as she threw herself down on the sofa next to him.

"Everything okay?" Logan looked at her.

"Sure," Rory said breezily. "You know Ava, she just really likes to chat at bedtime, anything to delay the inevitable."

"She sure does. What was it this time?" Logan asked. He wondered if Rory would say what it was they'd been discussing or gloss over it.

"Oh, princesses, the usual" Rory smiled. "Do you want a watch a movie?" she said as she picked up the remote control for the TV.

Logan chewed his lip. "Erm, actually, I think I am going to head back to my apartment, I have a really early start tomorrow and there are a few things I need to sort out before then," he said as he stood up.

"Oh," Rory said. She struggled to hide her disappointment. "Are you sure can't stay for just a bit?"

"I'd love to but I had better get going," he said as he gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I'll call you tomorrow though, okay?"

"Okay," Rory said as she watched Logan leave her apartment. She couldn't help be feel like Logan as acting a little strange and she was more than a bit confused as she wondered where the sudden shift in mood had come from.

* * *

Logan got into this car. He had no intention of going home to his apartment. He had something going through his head and he really needed to speak to someone about it, which is why, twenty minutes later he found himself sitting in his car outside his sister's house. He got out and knocked at the door.

"Logan!" she said as she pulled open the door "This is a surprise, I wasn't expecting you. Is something wrong?"

"Yes. No. I don't know" he admitted. "Can we talk?"

"Of course, come in" Honor led Logan into the kitchen where they sat at the breakfast far and she got them both a coffee. "What's going on?" she asked.

Logan took a deep breath. "I think I want to ask Rory to marry me"

Honor gasped as she looked at him. "Really? So soon Logan?"

"I know it's soon" Logan shook his head "It's crazy isn't it?"

"A little" Honor wrinkled her nose. "I mean, it's quick…"

"It doesn't really feel soon. It feels like we've been in each other's live for years." Logan explained.

"Well you have" Honor said.

"Yeah…and there's never going to be anyone else you know? There never has been. There's nobody like Rory. I want to be with her, forever and I want her to know that."

"Wow, okay. Well do you think that she's on that same page? Is she where you are right now?" Honor asked.

"I don't know. I heard her talking to Ava tonight. Ava asked her if we would get married and she said no" Logan grimaced.

"She said no?" Honor looked at Logan puzzled.

"But she did retract and changed it to a maybe one day" he smiled.

"Logan, look, if you really want this thing to work with Rory, you've got to make sure that she is singing from the same hymn sheet, you know?" Honor said carefully.

Logan looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean talk to her little bro, find out what it is that she wants and expects from this relationship. I think you'll probably find that she wants the same as you but if you've not discussed any of this then you probably should. I don't think you need to worry too much, either way, I know that she really loves you" Honor smiled.

"You do? How?"

Honor shrugged. "She told me. She told me that she'd loved you for six years. So I think there's a really good chance that she's going to want everything you want but you need to make sure, I don't want to see you get your heart broken."

* * *

Logan thought about what Honor had said to him all week. He had seen Rory once through the week when he had collected Ava and they'd spoke to each other every day on the phone. Rory had felt like Logan was keeping his distance from her for some reason and this had really started to worry her so she was pleasantly surprised when he called her up and told her he was taking her out for dinner. He'd even arranged for Lorelai to look after Ava for the night.

Logan had mulled things over all week and he knew that Honor was absolutely right, he needed to talk to Rory, if only to at least get a hint of what she might see in their future. He had arranged to pick her up at 8 pm and on the dot, he knocked at the door. Rory opened the door quickly and Logan could have sworn he felt his heart skip a beat in that moment.

"Rory, you look…." he said before abandoning whatever it was he was going to say and instead of demonstrating his feelings with words, he swept her up into his arms and crashed his lips down onto hers hotly.

After a moment she pulled away and looked him "Bad? Good? Like a car crash?"

"Amazing" he smiled.

He looked at his girlfriend, as she stood in front of him in a simple black fitted dress and heels. Her hair fell in soft curls around her shoulders and she was wearing just a touch of makeup which highlighted her bright blue eyes. It was such an incredibly simple look but she really didn't need anything else, she looked stunning just as she was.

"Shall we go?" Rory asked as she grabbed her sparkly clutch bag from the side table.

At dinner, Logan and Rory sat across from each other making light conversation but as they came towards the end of their meal, Logan knew that he was going to have to turn the conversation around at some point and in the end, he decided to just for it.

"Rory can I talk to you about something?" he asked.

"That sounds serious," she said putting her napkin down. A feeling of dread surfaced in her tummy. She'd had a slightly ominous feeling all week as Logan had been acting a little off.

"Don't panic, it's not really" Logan laughed "Well, I guess it kind of is but not in a bad way…I just…we've never really talked about the future.

Rory raised an eyebrow as she took a sip of her wine. "The future?" She relaxed a little. If he wanted to talk about their future that was a good sign.

"Our future" he confirmed.

"Oh. Right," she said as she wondered where the conversation would go.

"We don't have to do it now if you don't want to it's just…well, I kind of just wanted to know where you stood on a few things" Logan said slightly nervously.

"Okay…" Rory said as she put her glass down. She really hadn't seen this conversation coming tonight but all the same, it was one she was willing to have.

"For instance, do you ever see yourself getting married? Do you think you will ever have more children one day?"

Rory swallowed hard. They were difficult questions to answer and she wanted to be really careful with her words.

"Honestly?" she asked.

Logan nodded and encouraged her to continue.

She swallowed hard. "Honestly, the marriage thing? I've never really seen that happening for me. I'm not saying that I wouldn't ever want it…with the right person, I'm sure it would be amazing, it's just not something that I've ever been able to see in my future."

"Okay" Logan nodded. He thought it was an interesting answer, one he would mull over a bit later. "And what about children? Do you want to have more children?"

Rory looked down and smiled before she lifted her eyes to meet his. "Absolutely. When the time is right, I would love to have more children with you Logan" she said.

Logan spluttered a little on his drink and looked up at her. "With me? You would?"

"Well sure, that is what you are asking me isn't it?" she smiled "This was about our future…"

"Yeah, I just…I mean…that's a good answer" he smiled back. He hadn't actually expected her to be so upfront about it, she was normally a lot more reserved and cautious but the fact that she had obviously at some point considered that the two of them could have more children filled him with hope.

Rory smiled and blushed a little, she felt a little self-conscious after being so open. It was something that she had never really admitted out loud before, but mainly because she never thought it would be a possibility for her, but the truth was she'd really love a brother or sister for Ava. Up until recently, she'd never even dared to dream that would be with Logan but of course that was what she wanted, more than anything.

"How about we go get started on that?" Logan said as they got up from the table.

Rory laughed "I'm not sure about that just yet, but I'm not going to object to a certain amount of practicing…"

"Let's go," Logan said as he grabbed her hand.

* * *

A/N: Did I just stop right before the smutty scene? Damn right I did!


	24. Shall We

Logan and Rory could hardly keep their hands off each other on the journey back to her apartment and Rory felt her legs go weak as Logan kissed her hard and pushed her up against the door. After a few moments, she rather unwillingly disengaged herself from the kiss.

"I think we should go inside," she said with a smile as she turned around to open the door.

Moments later, as they made their way to her bedroom, they were straight back to continuing what they had already started. Once they had moved to the bed Logan shifted closer to her and lowered his mouth to hers before kissing her hungrily. Rory felt her heart pounding in her chest and her whole body tensed with anticipation. It didn't matter how many times she and Logan made love, somehow it still always felt like the very first time. She returned his kiss with an intensity that set her own pulse racing. His lips travelled from her mouth to her neck, where he feathered light open-mouthed kisses down to her collarbone and she cried out with pleasure.

She could feel his hands roaming all over her body, slowly travelling to her breasts and then he continued to move them lower. He ran his fingertips gently up her legs and thighs, and she gasped as they found the edge of her panties. He was surprised and pleased in equal measures to discover that she was so wet with desire already, and they hadn't done much more than kiss. He continued kissing down her neck and shoulders while his fingertips trailed up and down her thighs, moving higher each time.

Logan reached around and unzipped her dress before helping her to slide out of it. Rory reached over to tug off Logan's shirt before she slowly unfastened his belt buckle and unbuttoned his pants. As they continued to kiss, Logan slid them down his legs. He ran his hands slowly up and down her body, starting at her hips and travelling to her neck. He slid the straps of her bra down her shoulders and pressed his lips into her shoulders as he travelled slowly down her chest. She reached back and unfastened her bra and pulled it off, revealing her smooth breasts, nipples hard with desire.

Logan looked at her with admiration. "You are just so beautiful," he told her.

She slowly raised her eyes to meet his and she could see the longing which reflected her one.

"I love you more so much," Logan said as Rory leaned over to kiss him. It was a tender kiss that slowly intensified to an urgent kiss that made her already damp panties wetter. Their bodies pressed against each other, she loved the feeling of his skin against hers and she could feel his arousal.

Logan felt himself harden and he was unable to suppress a groan as Rory ran her hands over the front of his boxers. He lowered his mouth to her breasts and slowly kissed his way to her nipples. His tongue lightly flicked across her nipple and Rory whimpered as his other hand slowly teased her other breast, pinching her nipple between his fingers. The feel of his mouth suckling her nipple while his fingers tweaked the other heightened the growing need between her thighs.

"God Logan, I need you to touch me, please" she whimpered.

Logan ran his hand slowly up her thigh and between her legs before tracing slowly across the soft material of her panties. Her breath hitched in her throat as he finally touched her where she wanted. He could see that she was desperate for him to touch her, but he wanted to tease her a little and he continued to run his fingers alongside the outside of her panties while he teased her nipples with his tongue.

"You are so wet already, I love that" he whispered.

Rory could only pant in response and she looked up at him with a pleading hunger as she arched her body trying to get him to move his fingers against her.

Finally, he gave in and gave her what she wanted. He gently slid his fingers underneath her panties and began to slowly and oh-so-softly caress her before he stopped to pull off her panties altogether and he pushed her legs open wider to continue his slow tease. Rory couldn't take it anymore, she reached down and grabbed his head and crushed her mouth to his in a frantic kiss, gripping her tight to him. As they kissed he worked harder with his fingers and Rory moaned into his mouth as he finally hit that sweet spot. She cried out as she orgasmed hard against him but it still wasn't enough, she needed more.

Logan pressed his body firmly against her and she whimpered and arched her body so that he was just pressing against her entrance.

"Hurry up and make love to me Logan," Rory said impatiently.

With one swift motion, he thrust himself into her and she gasped in pleasure as he began moving within her in a slow, tortuous rhythm. They kissed deeply as he increased the pace, and Rory could feel the beginnings of another orgasm building up inside of her. Logan broke away from the kiss as he thrust harder into her before pulling back and stilling for a moment, trying to savor every moment.

He grabbed her legs and lifted them into the air, pressing them back towards her body and immediately began a more punishing rhythm. The position they now found themselves in made everything so much more intense and she knew that she was going to come again soon. As he thrust into her once again she gasped loudly as she allowed her body to achieve the release that it was aching for. Logan felt her pulsate as she climaxed and he could hold back no longer as she moaned softly in his ear. He groaned loudly and his body tensed as he finally found his own release.

Afterwards, they lay in Rory's bed comfortably entwined in each other's arms, Rory laid her head on Logan's chest, while he was busy tracing lazy circles on Rory's naked back.

All of a sudden it struck Logan that there was something he really wanted to ask Rory and he felt the urge to ask it right at the moment.

"Rory…?" he said quietly.

"Uh huh," she answered absentmindedly in her blissful post-coital haze.

"I think we should move in together" Logan said confidently.

Rory paused for a moment before she sat herself up on her elbow and turned to look at him. "What did you just say?"

"I think we should move in together" Logan was pretty sure she had heard him properly the first time but he repeated himself anyway.

"Okay…that's what I thought you said," Rory said with a raised eyebrow.

"I know you are going to think this is too soon Rory but it's really not. I want to do this, every day. I want to fall asleep together every night and wake up with you every morning, not just once or twice a week. I want to come home to you at the end of a long day or work trip. I want to see Ava every day and be there to tuck her in at night. I don't want to have your place and my place. I want to have our place. Me, you and Ava. As a family."

Rory took a deep breath. She felt quite overwhelmed at Logan's sudden impassioned speech. "I…I…don't really know what do say" she stammered.

"I was kind of hoping for a yes but I'd take an okay…" Logan joked.

Rory pulled herself up the bed to be level with him and she leaned over and softly kissed him on the lips.

"Don't take this the wrong way but…can I think about?" she asked as she bit her lip nervously. She was really conscious she didn't want to say the wrong thing to him but this was also something she wasn't prepared to make a knee-jerk decision on.

"What's there to think about?" Logan asked.

"Well, it's kind of a big step," she said. "Not just for us, but for Ava too."

Rory looked at Logan. He looked crushed and she felt a little bad that she didn't feel comfortable giving him an answer straightaway.

"Logan, it's not a no," she said as she reached down to squeeze his hand.

"But it's not a yes either is it" he sighed.

Rory lay her head back down on the pillow next to Logan and she put her arm around him as they both drifted off to sleep. There was nothing more to be said that night.

* * *

The next morning, Rory slowly opened her eyes to the morning light. She could feel Logan's body spooned up against her back and she found this comforting as they'd gone to sleep on a bit of a bum note. His arm rested across her stomach and it felt so right. She couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like to wake up to this every day – Logan's body wrapped protectively around hers. The thought excited her, but it also terrified her in many ways.

She had really wished she could have thrown caution to the wind when Logan had mentioned living together, she loved him after all and she knew that Ava would be happy but there were things that worried her about the whole thing and Rory knew that before she could move forward she needed to work those things out in her own head first. She was pretty sure a pro/con list would appear somewhere in the future.

"What time is it?" Logan asked groggily as he felt Rory stirring next to him.

"It's just gone 8.30am," Rory said. "I really need to get up and go fetch Ava from my mom's house as she'll need to get to the Inn today," she said as she swung her legs out of bed.

Logan sat up in bed "I'll come with you" he said.

"Oh, you don't have to. I'll probably just grab her from my mom quickly and head back here" Rory smiled a little.

"Okay, if you're sure?" Logan said.

"Yeah, it's fine," Rory said as she got herself dressed.

They sat in Rory's kitchen and drank their coffee in silence while reading their favorite parts of the newspaper that had been delivered to the apartment. Rory looked across at Logan who was busy reading. She couldn't help but feel like something had shifted a little since their conversation last night and she noticed that Logan seemed to be a little distant this morning.

"Logan…is everything okay? I mean…are we okay?" she asked tentatively.

Logan looked up from his segment of the newspaper. "Of course we are, why wouldn't we be?"

"Oh, I don't know," Rory said "It's just…you're very quiet this morning."

"Everything is fine Rory" Logan said as he smiled at her.

"You're not mad at me?" she asked.

"Why would I be mad at you?" Logan asked.

"For not giving you an answer I guess," she said as she looked down at her coffee cup.

"Rory, you said you wanted to think about it. So think about it. Make your pro/con list. Do whatever you need to do. I'm not mad, we're fine" he said as he leaned over to kiss her.

"Okay," Rory smiled hesitantly. She heard what he was saying but for some reason, she just didn't quite believe him. "I'm going to head off now," she said as she grabbed her keys. "You're okay to let yourself out aren't you?"

"Sure," Logan said.

"Call me later?" she asked.

Logan nodded without looking up from the newspaper. "Yep, I'll call you later."

As she left the apartment, Rory took one last look back at Logan sitting at the counter and sighed. She loved him so much and she knew that living with him would be nothing short of great. She was so frustrated with herself. Why couldn't she ever just let go and grab what she wanted?

* * *

A/N: I know I was mean yesterday but I hope this smut made up for it. Sorry for the angst...the path of true love never runs smoothly...


	25. Leap

"Hey, loinfruit" Lorelai pulled open the door with a big smile.

"Hi Mom" Rory smiled. "How was Ava last night? Did she sleep okay?"

"She was as good as gold as usual. How was your date night?" Lorelai asked as she wiggled her eyebrows.

Rory nodded "Oh it was good, it was fine."

"Downgraded from good to fine in less than three seconds – there's a story there somewhere - spill" Lorelai demanded.

Rory rolled her eyes. "Can I at least have a cup of coffee first? Where is Ava anyway?" she said looking around for her daughter.

"Oh, she's over at Luke's diner right now. He promised her a stack of chocolate chip pancakes with cream and cherries if she went straight to sleep last night and she delivered on her side of the bargain, so now it's his turn" Lorelai smiled.

"Bribing my daughter? Nice work. I bet Luke is hating having to give in to junk though" Rory laughed. It had always been Luke's mission in life to make the Gilmore girls eat more healthily and he hated it that Ava had picked up their bad habits.

"So, come on what's the matter?" Lorelai asked. "Talk to momma."

"There is nothing the matter really it's just that last night…Logan kind of asked me to live with him. Or for him to live with us maybe. I'm not entirely sure where we would live now come to think about it, I didn't ask." Rory said puzzled.

"Whoa, that's a really big step kid," Lorelai said with her eyes open wide.

"Yeah, it is" Rory sighed. "And that's the problem."

Lorelai cocked her head to one side. "You don't want to live with him?"

"No, I mean, no, it's not that I don't want to…I actually really love the idea in theory" Rory said "Logan is great, he's amazing with Ava and I know that things would be good but…oh, I just don't know. Ugh, can't you just tell me what to do mom?"

"Oh Rory, you know I can't tell you what to do, I try really hard to not get involved in your life decisions – that has bitten me quite firmly on the ass before, but what I will say is that at some point, if this is the relationship you want to be in, you're going to have to move forward. Plus, you've already lived together, so there are no surprises there…" Lorelai reasoned.

"But that was a really long time ago and a lot has changed since then. I mean, now we have Ava which kind of makes everything more complicated" Rory said.

"How so?" Lorelai asked.

"Well, what if we do this – we go all in and we start living together. What happens if we break up a few months down the line? That would break my heart but it would destroy Ava. She loves Logan so much. I'd hate to put her through so much pain."

"Are you intending to break up?" Lorelai asked.

"Well…no" Rory rolled her eyes.

"So what is the point in worrying about something that might never happen?" Lorelai shrugged. "By being afraid to take the next step and trying to protect Ava from getting hurt you're also preventing both you and her from experiencing something that could be pretty wonderful."

Rory looked at her mom thoughtfully. She was surprised that Lorelai seemed to be so much on Logan's side on this.

"Rory it's easy to overthink things but when it comes to love? Sometimes, it can't be rationalized. It's just one giant honking leap of faith hun."

* * *

Logan sat at home with this coffee, stewing over the events of the night before. Had he really judged things that wrong with Rory? He hadn't thought so. After their conversation at dinner, he was pretty sure that she would be receptive to the idea. Driving himself crazy with his thoughts, he decided to call Honor to talk it over and get a girl's perspective.

"Hey bro" Honor answered the call breezily.

"Hey," Logan said quietly.

"Oh no, what's wrong Logan…" Honor asked. She could tell by his voice that something was up.

"Well…last night, I told Rory that I thought we should start living together," he said.

Honor paused. "And?"

"And she didn't say yes, she said she wants to think about it, which can only mean one thing right?" Logan scoffed.

"Which is?" Honor asked carefully.

"That she thinks it's a ridiculous idea and she doesn't want to," Logan said.

Honor sighed. "Or it could just mean that she actually wants to take a moment to before making a major life decision…"

"You think so?" Logan said. He hadn't really considered it that way, he'd kind of thought that she was just using it as a delaying tactic before she was brave enough to let him down properly.

"Of course I do you bonehead" Honor exclaimed.

"Bonehead? Really Honor? What are we, twelve?" Logan laughed.

"Shut up Logan. Ugh, sometimes you frustrate the hell out of me! Logan – can't you see that this is about so much more than just you and her? Have you even considered Ava in any of this?"

Logan felt himself getting defensive. "Of course I have! I love Ava and she's a driving force in this – I want to live with her more than anything."

"Right. And Rory loves Ava more than anything too you know that. So what do you think she is thinking about right now? There's no doubt she loves you so it's not that." Honor waited for her brother to respond but he stayed quiet. "Ugh. She's a mother Logan! Her first concern will always be her child. I'm pretty sure that right now what is running through her head is all the different 'what if' scenarios that could occur if you guys don't make it."

"But we will," Logan said.

"You can guarantee that? How many times have you broken up before Logan? Rory is going to be nervous, it's natural. This is no way reflects how she feels about you or your future together. Just give her some time and space."

Logan ended the call with his sister and thought about what she had just said. It all made a lot of sense and Logan cursed himself for being so standoffish with her that morning. Of course, Rory would be considering the impact on their daughter. Logan hadn't given it too much thought because he had no worries about their future – he was so sure that this was the right thing for them.

* * *

Rory couldn't do anything but mull over the matter all day; it was all she was able to think about. She looked at the clock. She knew that Logan would have probably gone into the office but right now she needed to speak to him. She hated the feeling that everything was so up in the air between them. She picked up her cell phone and waited for Logan to answer.

"Hi, everything okay?" Logan said as he answered the phone. He had looked t the caller ID and when she saw that it was Rory he had made sure to answer it straight away.

"Yeah…I just…are you busy?" she said. She knew that she sounded nervous.

"No, not at all. Just let me go shut my door okay" Logan said.

Rory waited on the line. She heard Logan walk across his room and close the door to his office. He was obviously keen to stop people eavesdropping straight into his private life.

"Okay I'm back," he said.

"I just wanted to speak to you because well I have been thinking about what you said last night and I have some questions that I wanted to run past you," Rory said tentatively.

Logan took a deep breath. "Okay…"

"Well I guess my first one is…where would we actually live? I mean we both have our own places…would you move in here with us? Would you prefer us to move in with you?" Rory was aware she was rambling a little.

"I am happy to do whatever you want. I'm not emotionally attached to my place so I am happy to live at either, or perhaps look for somewhere new together." Finding somewhere new would be Logan's preference, he'd love nothing more than for them to create a home of their own together but he wanted Rory to be comfortable and if that meant them staying in one of their existing homes he was happy to do that.

"And you think we're ready for this? To start living together?" Rory asked.

"We've lived together before Rory" Logan reminded her.

"I know, but this is kind of different isn't it?" Rory said.

"How?" Logan asked.

"Well, it just feels more…I don't know…permanent" Rory said.

"And that's a bad thing? This isn't something I've asked you on a whim Ace. " Logan said quietly.

Rory hesitated. "I guess not but I'm just worried about the consequences if we can't make this work."

Logan sighed. "Rory, I have every intention of this working out. In fact, I'll do whatever it takes. I am all in. I know that us living together as a family is a big thing. In Ava's life, it will be monumental but we can do this."

Rory thought for a moment. "Look I am sorry for bothering you at work Logan. We can talk about this later. Can you stop by on your way home, so we can talk properly?"

"Of course. I'll see you later" Logan said.

"I love you, Logan," Rory said

"I love you too Ace"

* * *

Later that evening when Logan finished what he was doing at the office, he drove across to Rory's apartment. He was a little apprehensive about the evening ahead of him, but he knew he had to do whatever he could to make Rory feel comfortable.

"Hey," Rory said with a smile as she opened the door.

"Hey," Logan said as he leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek before he closed the door behind him.

She lifted her eyes to meet his and nodded at him. "Okay"

"Okay?" he looked at her confused for a moment before catching on to what she was saying. "Oh! Yeah? Really?"

"Yeah" she smiled "Let's do this"

"Oh my God, I can't believe it!" he yelled as he picked her up and spun her around. "This is going to be so good Rory" he whispered in her ear.

All the noise and commotion made Ava come running in down the hallway from her bedroom to see what was happening. "Daddy daddy!" she squealed "Put mommy down!"

Logan laughed and put Rory back down on her own two feet. "Shall we tell her?" he said quietly.

Rory nodded. "I don't see why not"

Logan crouched down to be at his daughters level. "Ava we've got something kind of exciting to tell you. How would you like us all to live together?" he said.

Ava's eyes widened "Really!" she said as she looked up at her mommy.

Rory nodded at her and smiled.

"In our house here?" Ava asked.

"Well probably not sweetie, I think we'll probably look for somewhere new for all of us," Rory said as she smiled at Logan.

"Yeah," Logan said "A new home all of our own"

Ava thought for a moment "Will I still have my own bedroom? Can it be pink?"

"Of course" Logan laughed as he cuddled both his girls. "It can be anything you want"

* * *

As Logan and Ava snuggled down on the sofa to watch some TV, Rory slipped into the bedroom to call Lorelai and let her know the news.

"We're doing it," she said to her mom.

"You went for it? This is big kiddo!" Lorelai exclaimed.

"It is, it's very big but it feels completely right," Rory said. "I need to stop being afraid and just take the leap."

"I'm really happy for you. Did you work out where you would actually live?" Lorelai asked.

"We're going to get a new place together I think, start totally fresh" Rory smiled.

"That sounds like a great idea hun. Have you told Ava?"

"Yes, and she's thrilled. Actually, they're waiting for me in the living room so I had better go. I just called to let you know. Speak soon mom" Rory said as she hung up the phone and went back out to get on the sofa with Logan and Ava.

Logan moved over a little to make some room for Rory and he put his arm around her shoulder as she pulled her legs up and snuggled into him. In that moment, he had everything he wanted in life right there in his arms. A beautiful girlfriend and a beautiful daughter and now they were going to go and find themselves a beautiful home. Life was absolutely perfect and he was loving it.

* * *

A/N: Do you know, it feels like a two chapter day today!


	26. Home

Logan was crazy keen to get started on finding a home for them all, so the following weekend they took Ava apartment shopping with them in Hartford. They really wanted her to be involved in the process as it was going to be her home as well and she was excited that they were all going to live together in one place.

That day the realtor they had met tool them to look at five rather grandiose apartments in the Hartford Area. All of them were completely stunning in their own way, but there wasn't one of them that stood out to Rory and Logan, there was just something about each of them that didn't tick their boxes.

As they sat in the coffee shop that they had taken Ava to for a rest, Rory couldn't help but feel slightly dejected about the experience so far. She looked down at her daughter, she had been so good and patient all day so they had treated her to a giant donut.

"Do you think that maybe we are just being too picky?" Rory said as she sipped her coffee.

"It's got to be right" Logan shrugged. "Maybe we need to go back to the drawing board and look for something else altogether. What about a house rather than an apartment?"

"It would be really nice to have some sort of garden for Ava to play in," Rory said thoughtfully.

Logan nodded. "Yeah, and if we get a bigger place, it's kind of future-proofing too."

Rory raised an eyebrow. "Future-proofing?"

"Well, you know, in case of any future…expansions" Logan said casually.

"Right." Rory smiled. She knew exactly what he meant and she had to be honest with herself, she didn't hate the idea one little bit.

"So, we'll look at houses?" Logan confirmed and Rory nodded.

They sat in the café for a bit longer giving Ava the chance to enjoy her cake. Logan got lost in his own thoughts for a little while. He actually loved the sound of buying a house with Rory; it felt like one more step towards a permanent life together. An apartment was always going to be a stepping-stone but a house? It felt like more, it felt like they would be looking for the family home and he loved how that sounded.

* * *

The next day Rory was sitting at her desk at the Courant when she heard her cell phone ringing in her bag. She pulled it out to find it was Logan calling and she answered it with a smile.

"I've found the house!" he yelled as soon as she answered.

"What?" Rory said as she took a moment to register what he had said to her.

"I've found the house – our house, well if you like it of course, but it's perfect Rory. I think you'll love it." Logan said excitedly.

"Already? That was quick…You're a fast mover Huntzberger" Rory mused "We only spoke about it yesterday!"

"No time to waste! I'm coming to get you this afternoon. You finish at 3 pm right? I'll be waiting outside" Logan said.

Rory pretended to be upset. "Aww, what? You mean you're not going to come into the office and cause another stir. I think they've literally just stopped talking about us so it's probably about time you came in and gave them something more to gossip about…"

"Don't worry Ace, there's still plenty for them to gossip about, I'm sure. I'll see you at 3 okay?" he said.

Rory smiled as she put the cell phone down on the desk and took a deep breath. Things were going very well, very well indeed and she truly was the happiest she had felt in a long time. She tried so hard to concentrate on her work for the rest of the afternoon but she was feeling very excited about seeing the house. Logan's enthusiasm was contagious and she really hoped that she would think it was as perfect as he did.

When she finished work later that afternoon, she ran down the stairs at the office and straight out to Logan's waiting Porsche. She leaned over and kissed him when she got in the car.

"What's that for?" he said with a smile "Not that I am complaining…"

"Oh, I am just happy and excited! I can't wait to see the house" Rory smiled.

About twenty minutes later they pulled up outside a large classic colonial style residence on the outskirts of Hartford. Rory stared out of the window open-mouthed.

"Is this it?" She turned to look at Logan incredulously as he nodded.

"First impressions?" he asked her, carefully looking at her for her reaction.

"It's…it's huge!" she gasped.

"We're still talking about the house right?" Logan smirked.

Rory rolled her eyes at him. "Wow, Logan, this is not what I was expecting"

"Now don't get overwhelmed before you've even seen inside Ace."

"Right now I am overwhelmed at just how much you think this family is going to be extending by!" she said as she looked at the house.

Logan didn't miss the fact that she had called them a family or that she had so casually talked about extending that family and it made his stomach do a flip.

"Come on" he said as he got out of the car.

Rory followed him up the path to meet the realtor Julia who greeted them both warmly at the door.

"Right, so this property is set in just under seven acres. It was built around the 1930's and all-in-all the internal residence covers 8,400 square-foot. Now I am happy to show you around or if you prefer you can walk around on your own and I can answer any questions you may have when you're done?" she smiled.

"I think we'll walk around on our own Julia," Logan said as he took hold of Rory's hand.

"Okay, great, well you guys go explore and I'll meet you out the back of the property in a little while to show you the grounds" she smiled.

Rory and Logan walked into the house and stopped to admire the grand foyer before they started to wander around each of the rooms. The formal living room, the sun-filled solarium, the opulent dining room – each room they entered seemed more and more impressive than the first. As Logan opened grabbed the handle of another door he paused.

"What's the matter?" Rory looked at him.

"Now, I don't want what is on the other side of this door to throw you off okay? Keep an open mind" he smirked.

Rory looked at him confusedly as he threw open the door but her confusion turned to excitement as she saw what the room was.

"A library?!" she gasped. She was totally blown away by the huge space which was decked out with full height bookcases and extensive window seating. Rory walked over and sat on one of the cushioned seats and looked out of the window at the manicured gardens below. She could totally picture herself, sitting there, losing herself in one of her favorite books.

"Do you like it?" Logan asked.

Rory nodded in response.

"Come on, there's so much more to see," he said as he led her around the rest of the house.

There was a huge remodelled chef's kitchen with two pantries which Rory thought Sookie would kill for, and a breakfast room with French doors that lead out onto the back deck into the long garden. She ran her hand along the edge of the table as she walked around the room.

"What are you thinking?" Logan asked her. He could see that she had drifted away with her thoughts.

"I could see us sitting here, doors open in the summer, eating breakfast with our children…" she said as she looked up at him and smiled.

"Wow" Logan smiled back. That wasn't what he was expecting her to say at all but it made him very happy to hear her refer to their children.

"Yeah, I know" she laughed as they walked out to explore the rest of the house.

Upstairs, off the large foyer was the master bedroom suite complete with a spacious walk-in closet, window seats and two bathrooms and there were a further four bedrooms and bathrooms but the pièce de résistance upstairs, well for Rory anyhow – a reading room. She adored the room and she could picture it filled with comfy sofas. The third level of the house featured another guest bedroom and an office and there was a lower level that included a club room, exercise room, workshop and wine cellar.

When they were done inside, they met Julia at the back of the property who showed them the impressive external offerings. There was the semi-wooded garden, the heated pool complete with pool house, the gorgeous flagstone patios, organic gardens and stone walls and there was even a tennis court, though Rory knew that was undoubtedly the part of the property she would use the least. To the side of the house, there was also a three room apartment over the top of the three car garage with its own entrance which Julia informed them would be perfect for live-in staff or guests.

Logan tried hard to read Rory's thoughts but today she was a completely closed book. She really hadn't said a lot as she looked around the house though he had seen her eyes light up at the library and the reading room. They were two of the things that had led him to want to view the property in the first place and he knew that they would impress her.

"So…what do you think?" he asked her as Julia walked away to give them some privacy.

"I love it" Rory admitted. "I mean, it's obviously way bigger than we could ever need but…wow…it's an amazing house Logan."

"I love it too," Logan said as he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her on the forehead. "Yeah it's big but this would be our forever home, we'd never have to move again" he reasoned.

Rory's breath hitched at hearing him say the words 'forever home'. She so wanted that to be the reality.

"And it's completely vacant now, so as we can pay cash, we can have it almost immediately" he continued.

Rory looked at Logan "Really? But I've not even listed my apartment yet! I really do love this house Logan, but I don't think I can afford this" she said as she wrinkled her nose.

"That's okay, you don't have to. I got it" he shrugged casually.

"But…" Rory looked at him incredulously wondering how he could be so blasé about dropping two million dollars.

"No buts" Logan shook his head. "I want to do this for us. I've got the money just sitting in my trust fund. It's no big deal. Please" he said he pleaded with her.

Rory looked at Logan. She could see from his eyes that this meant something to him. "Are you're sure…I mean really sure"

"I am completely sure! But I want you to remember that if we do this, it's not my house; it's our house, okay? You will own half" he said firmly to Rory.

"Logan…" she started to say.

"Don't Logan me!" he laughed. "This is how sure I am of us. I'm willing to bet a million dollars on it" he winked at her.

"Okay," Rory smiled.

"Okay….? As in yes? We're doing this?" he asked her carefully.

"Yeah" she nodded "Let's buy the house!"

They spoke to Julia about buying the property and dealt with all the necessary paperwork. She told them that she was pretty sure that their offer would be accepted, the property having been on sale for some time and that she would let them know as soon as possible.

Rory and Logan got back into his Porsche and drove back to her apartment, them both talking excitedly about their ideas for the house but trying not to get too carried away, just in case their offer was not accepted on the first try, They were just pulling up outside the apartment block when Logan's cell phone rang. He looked at Rory before he answered.

"Logan Huntzberger," he said as he answered the call.

Rory watched his face for any sign of what was being said.

"Okay…okay…yes, that's fine…I understand…okay…thank you" he ended the call and leaned back in the seat.

"Well?" Rory asked impatiently.

"We got it," he said with a smile.

"Oh my god" Rory said as she clasped her hand over her mouth "I can't believe it!" she squealed as Logan pulled her close to him and kissed her firmly on the lips.


	27. Where The Heart Is

Rory and Logan were able to move into their new home within a couple of weeks. When they had taken Ava to show her where they had been living, she had fallen in love with it immediately. She loved all the outdoor space and the swimming pool, and the fact that there was a sturdy treehouse in the garden had completely won her over. Once they had taken possession of the keys and got most their furniture in, Rory invited her mom over to take a good look around the place.

"Oh my God Rory. This is insane. I'm pretty sure that you could fit my entire house in your kitchen" Lorelai gasped as she tried to digest the size of the mansion that Rory was now calling home.

"I don't think that's true mom," Rory said as she rolled her eyes.

"Maybe not, but wow, this really is some pad, Rory. It's like a Barbie dream house" Lorelai exclaimed.

Rory smiled. "It's definitely our dream house"

"Rolling out the Harlequin romance face again there Rory?" Lorelai sniggered. "Girl, you've got it bad…"

"Oh shut up," Rory said as she shook her head at her mom.

"Come on! Come and see my room" Ava said as she tugged on Lorelai's arm impatiently. "Daddy has had it all painted pink for me and I think it's the best room in the whole house!"

"Really? Well in the case I had better see it immediately!" Lorelai said as she was eagerly pulled along. "I'm coming, I'm coming" she sighed as Ava excitedly dragged Lorelai up the stairs.

They peeked in through Ava's bedroom door which sure enough was a bright fuchsia shade of pink. It had been the first room in the house to get any type of redecoration, mainly because Rory and Logan wanted to settle Ava into the house as quickly as possible and they knew that having her bedroom just how she wanted it would help the process no end.

"How many bedrooms Rory?!" Lorelai asked in shock as she passed door after door on the landing.

"Just six, a couple of the rooms are bathrooms or storage" Rory shrugged.

"Just the six? So casual!" Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Plenty of room for more of my gorgeous grandbabies huh" she smirked.

"That is SO not on the agenda right now!" Rory laughed.

"Hmm. We'll see about that." Lorelai said as she side-eyed her daughter. "Let me see your room, Rory. I want to see where all this baby-making is going to occur"

"Mom!" Rory squealed.

"I'm kidding! I know you and Logan will never be able to contain yourselves to just the bedroom….oww!" Lorelai squealed as Rory slapped her arm. "I just want to see your boudoir that's all as I'm presuming you'll have the best room in the house…"

Rory showed Lorelai into the master suite where she wandered around, admiring the huge walk-in closet and dressing area.

"Two bathrooms? You really need two bathrooms in your bedroom?" she shook her head. "Well, the news in, I am actually green with envy."

* * *

The first week of living together as a family went very well, it was a pretty smooth transition. They had just about settled into their house, though Rory found the size of it was taking some getting used to. She was really enjoying their new breakfast room and sitting out on one of the patios with her morning coffee was fast becoming one of her favorite things to do.

She and Logan seemed to be getting to grips with a new routine – after three years of co-parenting from separate homes, it was certainly a big change, to be co-existing alongside each other 24/7 but Ava seemed over-the-moon to finally have both her parents under the same roof and Rory was amazed at how quickly it had felt normal. They rubbed alongside each other so comfortably it was like they had always been together.

Their friends were chomping at the bit to see the new Gilmore-Huntzberger residence and so they decided to have a small house-warming get-together with just their closest friends, while Honor took Ava for a sleepover at her house. It turned out to be a really nice relaxed evening, with everybody just sitting around in the basement club room, enjoying a few drinks and just generally talking and having fun.

When Rory headed off upstairs to the kitchen to grab them all some more snacks, Logan followed her up. She was leaning into one of the kitchen cupboard's to retrieve a bowl when he crept up behind her and grabbed her waist. She jumped in the air and spun around to look at him.

"Logan!" she squealed "You nearly scared me half to death"

"Well maybe I could offer you some mouth to mouth?" he said as he crashed his lips down onto hers. She responded fervently and quickly allowed his tongue to explore her mouth as she ran her fingers through his hair. As he slid his hand under her shirt and moved it round to the front to caress her breast, she lightly moaned into his mouth.

"Logan…" she said as she pulled away from him.

"What?" he looked at her, pretending to be innocent.

"We need to get back downstairs…" she protested as his hand continued to massage her breast under her shirt.

"They are not going to miss us for a bit" he smirked as he pulled her into another searing kiss.

Rory really wanted to resist but like always, she could feel her resolve slipping away. She knew that she had no self-control when it came to Logan and he seemed to know exactly how best to exploit that.

"Not here…" she said as she pulled him with her as she walked back into one of the two pantries that were situated just off the kitchen.

Logan put his arms around her waist and raised her up to sit on the counter as she smiled at him in amusement. Rory opened her legs slightly and he positioned himself between her legs as she crossed her bare feet behind him, to draw him in closer to her. He dipped down to kiss her neck lightly until she took his face in both of her hands and they began to kiss passionately once again.

Looking her straight in the eye, Logan pushed up her skirt and started to remove her panties. Rory put her hands on the counter so she could raise herself up to help him with his task. She looked at him as he gently stroked her inner thigh, an action that caused her to gently spread her legs. Reaching behind her Logan drew her hips to the edge of the counter and she shifted willingly. She gripped the edge of the countertop with anticipation as Logan gently kissed his way up her inner thighs before he let his tongue glide over her center.

She inhaled sharply and her hips arched upwards to meet his mouth. Logan watched as Rory closed her eyes and rested her head back against the cabinet door behind her. He pressed more firmly and she gasped as her mouth dropped open as she moaned loudly. They had done this enough in the past for Logan to recognize from her reactions that she would come soon. He could feel her hips shivering against his mouth and her hands on his head, as he leaned there gently sucking and licking her slowly.

Rory was slowly moving towards her release when Logan thought he'd help her along and he gently slid two fingers inside her. The sensation of this was enough and her grip on his head tightened as she screamed. "God, yes" she shouted as the wave passed through her body and Logan could feel her body start to relax.

While Rory was still in the aftermath of her orgasm, Logan stood up and kissed her again. "I need to have you now" he whispered in her ear.

Rory responded by shuffling forward on the counter and with her hand she enveloped him, guiding him to just the right spot. Logan didn't waste any time as he plunged into her. She leaned back slightly and rested against the cabinet behind her, raising an arm so she could steady herself. He arched his hips as he continued thrusting and she began to moan.

Before they could do much more, they heard the door to the pantry open and both of them froze on the spot.

"What are you doing in…" Finn started to say before he realized what was going on in there. "Shit! Oh! Jeez," he said "Sorry," he said through laughter as he closed the door quickly.

"Oh my god" Rory squealed "I knew this was a bad idea!"

"It won't be the first time Finn has walked in on someone having sex" Logan smirked and reasoned.

"Maybe not, but it's the first time he's walked in on ME having sex…" Rory said. She was a little distracted as Logan continued with his ministrations. "Logan…" she said a little breathlessly "What do you think you are doing…we need to….oh" she gasped.

"There's no point stopping now. We might as well finish what we started Ace" he whispered.

Rory wrapped her legs around behind him and locked her ankles tight as Logan kissed her deeply as he began thrusting into her again. Unlike the gentle lovemaking that they often indulged in this was wild and primal sex and it wasn't long before Logan could feel himself getting closer and closer to the edge and finally, he cried out as he let go.

Her legs still wrapped around him, and with him still inside of her, Rory kissed the top of his head which he had dropped on to her chest as he regained his breath.

"NOW we had better go back downstairs" she laughed.

* * *

Finn laughed as he headed back downstairs to join the rest of their friends in the club room.

"What are you smiling at?" Rosemary asked. "Did you find them?"

"Oh I found them alright!" he smirked, "If you know what I mean…"

"No!" Juliet squealed and clasped her hand over her mouth. "Where were they?"

"Pantry" Finn said.

"Nice" Robert nodded in approval.

"Nice, unless you want to eat any of the food in there" Colin laughed "Talking of food, where are the snacks…"

"Rory was getting them. I'm sure there'll be back in a minute when they've finished what they were doing…from the sounds of it, they were almost there" Finn laughed.

"I hope she washes her hands," Colin said.

"I hope he washes his," Finn smirked.

"Oh my god" Rosemary laughed and shook her head.

A few minutes later a smirking Logan and a blushing Rory returned to join the group.

"Well that was quick Logan" Stephanie winked.

"What can I say? She's a very easy girl to please" he joked as he wrapped his arm around Rory's waist as he pulled her down to sit on the sofa next to him. She gasped and playfully slapped his arm.

"Ah, it finally feels like all is right with the world. Rory and Logan are back where they should be…" Colin said.

"…making out at any given opportunity…" Finn laughed and raised a glass. "Thanks for that by the way, I've got some lovely visual images of Miss Gilmore stored now for future reference"

Finn ducked as Rory threw a cushion at him.

"So anyway, now you two have the kid and the house, when are you going to finally pop the question and put the ring on the finger, huh Huntzberger," Stephanie said as she hiccupped "Whoops, warning sign" she giggled.

Logan almost spat out his beer at the question and he needed a moment to compose himself before he could answer. Rory blushed and looked across at him. She could see that he was obviously struggling to find the right words to say so she figured she would jump in and save him from having to respond with a potentially awkward response.

"Erm, it's not something we've really talked about," Rory said with a small smile.

"Oh whoops, my bad" Steph giggled.

Rory shot her a look. She knew that her friend was just being provocative. Luckily Finn could sense that this was not a conversation that they wanted to enter in.

"So, this pool then. I feel like this should be christened with some skinny dipping. What do you say, gang? Rory, my love. You're off the hook. I've already seen way more than I expected to see of you tonight…"

"Finn!" Rory squealed with embarrassment.


	28. Heirloom

That night, after their friends had all crashed out in the guest rooms, Logan lay in bed next to Rory thinking about the question that Steph had thrown at them downstairs. At the time, he hadn't really been sure of a way to answer the question without perhaps freaking Rory out in some way and he couldn't help but notice the way that Rory had blushed and fidgeted awkwardly. He'd felt a little bad for her and hoped that she didn't think the reason that he hadn't answered Steph was that he didn't want to marry her because that really couldn't be further from the truth.

He thought back to when he had originally approached the subject with her at the restaurant. She had seemed surprised that he had brought it up and though she had openly admitted that it was not really something she had ever seen in her future, she had never actually said that she didn't want to get married one day. That had given him some quiet hope. And now they were getting settled in their new house – their new home together. Logan was pretty sure that the time was now right to pop the question. He wanted Rory to know that this – what they were doing - was for keeps and more than anything else, he just wanted to be able to call her his wife.

Logan looked across at Rory sleeping peacefully next to him; her soft brown curls fanned out on the pillow and smiled. They were so completely perfect for each other in every way possible, they just…fit. He knew that even if he searched for a million years he'd never find another woman like her. Asking her to marry him was the next natural step and he resolved to do it as soon as possible.

* * *

The next day they sat around eating breakfast with their friends, nursing various stages of a hangover. Rory looked over at Logan who was stood on the other side of the kitchen. She could tell that there was something on his mind; he'd been a bit off since they'd woke up in bed that morning. Half of her wondered whether it was just the after effects of too much scotch last night but she couldn't help but feel it was something more. She walked over to where he was stood at the kitchen counter preparing a fresh batch of coffee and she slid her arms around his waist.

"Hey, is everything okay?" she asked as she squeezed into him.

Logan twisted around to look at her "Everything's fine" he said, "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, you're just a little quiet this morning, that's all. Something on your mind?" she questioned carefully.

"Nothing for you to worry about," he said with a smile as he kissed her on the top of the head. "Have we got more coffee?"

"In the pantry" she gestured.

Logan walked over and pulled down the door handle before Finn shouted at him from across the room.

"Hey Logan, be careful, last time I opened that door I got more than I bargained for mate" he laughed.

Rory leaned over the kitchen island and whipped Finn with the tea towel.

"Oww, blimey mate, she's kinky your girlfriend" Finn laughed "I didn't know you were into all that BDSM stuff. Do it again Rory" he said as he bent over.

Logan laughed and shook his head as he went into the pantry to fetch the coffee beans. Rory was laughing with her friends but kept her eye trained on him as she watched him carefully. It didn't matter what he said to her, she knew that there was something going on with him. He'd barely said a word to anyone since they had got out of bed.

Eventually, their friends all started to head home and soon it was just Rory and Logan left in the house. They were busy tidying up the kitchen after last night's party and the breakfast they'd hosted this morning. Rory loved having a big house and a big kitchen but only a week in, it was proving to be a lot of upkeep. She was already thinking of taking up Emily's idea of getting a housekeeper.

"It feels so big now everyone has gone doesn't it?" Logan said as he cleared away the breakfast plates.

"That's because it is big" Rory laughed.

"So, what are you doing today?" Logan asked her casually. He was hoping that she was going to be busy today which would leave him to get on with a few things without too many questions.

"Oh, not a lot, I'm going over to Honor's to pick up our darling daughter and see what hell she has raised over there. Are you coming with me?" she asked hopefully.

"No, I don't think so." Logan shook his head "I've got a few other things I need to get done today" he said.

"Oh?" Rory said, interested in what he might be doing as he was being unusually vague.

"Just a few errands" he shrugged.

Rory sighed. Clearly, he wasn't going to starting opening up and telling her what was going on and he didn't really seem to want to be pushed on it so she decided to leave well alone. "Right…well, I think I'll get going then. We'll get some takeout later?"

"Sure sounds great" Logan smiled.

* * *

Logan waited until Rory had driven away from the house before he picked up the keys to his Porsche and headed straight out to his parent's house for what he knew was not going to be an easy conversation.

He had always known that when the time came for him to propose – to anyone – that there was an heirloom engagement ring waiting in the safe at the Huntzberger mansion for him, and the day had finally come. He wanted to make good use of it - he just had to convince his parents to hand it over to him. Logan knew that this might have been somewhat easier to do had it been some approved society girl that was going to be on the receiving end of the proposal, but the fact that it was Rory meant that this was going to be interesting, to say the least.

Logan pulled up outside his parent's house and cut the engine on his Porsche. He sat for a moment behind the steering wheel to gather his thoughts before he got out, took a deep breath and entered the house. Once inside, he headed straight to his father's office. It being a Sunday morning, he knew that's exactly where he would be. He knocked on the door once before entering the room.

"Yes" boomed his father's voice from within. "Oh, Logan, it's you," he said with some surprise. "Was I expecting you?"

"No" Logan sighed "Do you need to be? Can I not just drop by and see my father or do I need an appointment?" he said sarcastically.

"Now Logan, don't be like that…I was simply saying that I am surprised to see you" Mitchum said. "Anyway, I presume it's not a social visit. What can I do for you Logan?"

"I have come to ask for grandma's engagement ring…to give to Rory" Logan said decidedly.

Mitchum stopped what he was doing and leaned back in his chair with his hands behind his head. He looked at his son carefully.

"I see…"

"Now I know you are going to have some argument about why I can't marry Rory or why she's not suitable to be a Huntzberger but…" Logan started to ramble before his father interrupted.

"Logan…stop right there. I never once said that Rory Gilmore was not suitable to be a Huntzberger, that was your mother and grandfather. I may have had some reservations but Rory brings out the best in you, any fool can see that and she's given me an extremely beautiful and smart granddaughter. Your grandfather certainly mellowed towards Rory."

"But mom hasn't," Logan said.

"Well, no" Mitchum shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "She hasn't, but fortunately for you, she's not the keeper of the ring is she?"

"You mean, you'll give it me?" Logan asked amazed. He was expecting to have to put up a lot more of a fight, given both, it's sentimental and financial value.

"Your grandmother would have wanted you to have it, Logan. She thought the sun shone out of your backside for some reason and she most definitely would have liked Rory. They're very similar in many ways…" he said, almost wistfully.

Mitchum got up from his desk and walked over to the safe. He twisted the dial and opened the heavy door before pulling out the dark blue velvet ring box. He walked back over to where Logan was standing and hesitated briefly before holding the box out to him. "My mother was a very special woman Logan and I wouldn't give you this if I didn't think you were doing the right thing."

Logan took the box from his father and opened it up carefully. The engagement ring that Elias had given to Logan's grandmother all those years ago was a beautiful Burmese sapphire and diamond coronet cluster platinum ring made in the early 20th century. The 4-carat sapphire was bordered by a single row of ten diamonds with a combined weight of 2 carats. It was nothing short of stunning. Logan smiled at the ring, it was as beautiful as he remembered and the gorgeous sapphire at the center couldn't have been more perfect for Rory.

"Thanks, dad" he looked up at him and smiled.

His father nodded an acknowledgement just as Shira walked into the room.

"What is going on in here?" she asked as she looked from Logan to Mitchum to the box that Logan was holding in his hands.

"Oh no, no way!" she said as she held her hands up in the air. "That is NOT happening."

"Shira…" Mitchum warned.

"No Mitchum! He is not going to give your mother's ring to that girl!" she exclaimed. "How many times have we been over this, she is not right for this family!"

Logan knew his mother had always been a bit sore about the fact that the ring had never come into her ownership so that coupled with her general disdain for Rory was never going to go down well.

"That 'girl' as you so patronizingly put it is the mother of your grandchild" Logan shook his head. "Who I assume you will want to retain some contact with especially as she is set to inherit HPG one day…"

One of the things that Logan had been passionate about was making sure that his daughter wasn't looked over purely for the fact she was a girl. His sister Honor was older than him but the responsibility and ownership relating to HPG had completely skipped her and gone to him. It was one thing as heir to the family businesses that he wanted to change for the future and he'd managed to get his father to agree to it.

"You wouldn't stop us seeing our granddaughter" Shira scoffed.

"Do you want to try me?" Logan warned. He was in no mood to bend to his mother.

"Logan…" Mitchum said.

"No, dad. I'm not taking this anymore. We're a package deal – me and Rory. You don't get one without the other. And if you don't get me, you don't get Ava because I can tell you right now, Rory would do absolutely anything to avoid being in the same room as you both. You have treated her abominably over the years and you don't even see it" he said exasperatedly.

Shira looked down at the floor feeling suitably chastised by her son.

"Logan…I'm sorry…" she started to say without looking up at him.

"Are you? Because I don't think you really are. And actually, it's not me that you need to apologize to is it?" he spat. "Thanks for the ring dad. I'll let you know how it goes" Logan said to his father as he walked out of the office.

"Good luck" Mitchum called after him.

* * *

 **A/N: Another bonus chapter day! You can heap the praise on me...right before I tell you that this is all you are getting until Tuesday as I am going away camping ️ Sorry! 😐**

 **PS Whoever asked the other day about the female equivalent of a cock block...CLAM JAM! Sorry you did asked,** **yuck! Haha!**


	29. Oh Baby

While Logan was busy dealing with his parents and collecting the engagement ring, Rory had driven straight over to Honor's house to collect their daughter, however, when she had arrived there Rory discovered that Ava wasn't actually there.

"Hi, Rory" Honor said happily "Come in. Ava isn't here right now but she'll be back soon…"

Rory looked at Honor slightly puzzled. "Is she on a date?" she asked.

Honor smiled "She takes after her daddy in many ways, but thankfully her dating habits are not one of them" she winked. "She's out with Josh at the park around the corner. Actually, he's kind of doing me a favour, I asked him to take her as I wanted a chance to talk to you, in private."

"Oh?" Rory said, intrigued as to what Honor might want to talk to her about. She was a little bit tense in these situations because as much as she loved her, Honor was often quite forthright and spoke her mind when she felt it necessary.

"Yeah, well there are two things I wanted to talk about really. The first is just me being a nosy big sister really…I just wanted to know how are things going at the new house?" Honor asked.

Rory relaxed a little. "Oh, really well" she smiled. "I think it's the best decision we ever made!"

"Oh, that makes me super happy. It's such an amazing house and it's so big!" she exclaimed. "Lots of room for future Huntzberger babies. I mean, Gilmore babies….Oh, Gilmore-Huntzberger babies?" Honor said as she shook her head in confusion. "You know what I mean!" she laughed.

"Yes, there is plenty of room but I'm not sure we're at the point of adding any more to the next generation quite yet – even though everyone else seems to want us to!" Rory laughed. She couldn't believe how everyone seemed to have baby fever recently.

"Oh, sad. It would be awesome if you were pregnant though." Honor pouted.

"Why is that?" Rory laughed.

"Because I am pregnant!" Honor said excitedly "That's the second thing that I wanted to talk to you about."

"You're pregnant? Oh, Honor, that's wonderful news" Rory said as she jumped up to hug her.

Honor smiled. "Thank you. It's early days so we're not really telling anyone at the moment, but oh I'm just so nervous about it all, I needed to tell somebody!"

"Why are you so nervous? This is something you wanted right?" Rory asked. She'd always thought that Honor would make a fantastic mom and was only surprised that she'd never done it sooner.

"It's taken us so long to get here. We never really told anyone this but we've been trying to have a baby on and off since the wedding and we just didn't think it was going to happen for us. I had almost got to the point where I was becoming totally content with being Cool Aunty Honor and poof! I am pregnant" she said as she rested her hand on her tummy.

Rory looked at Honor. "I never knew that I'm sorry you have had struggles," she said sympathetically. "Oh! Does that mean I will be…."

"Cool Aunty Rory" Honor nodded with a smile.

"Oh!" Rory clasped her hand to her chest and welled up a bit. "I can't wait to be Aunty Rory," she said proudly. "Logan is going to be thrilled!"

"Will you let me tell him?" Honor asked.

"Of course I will, but you had better do it soon because I am going to be popping with excitement!" Rory laughed.

"It's so lovely to have you back as part of the family Rory." Honor smiled.

"Thanks" Rory smiled back.

* * *

After Logan had finished at his parent's house he decided to head straight over to Stars Hollow to do what he needed to do. He was nervous about facing Lorelai but he knew that above all else he needed to talk to her first about asking Rory to marry him. He just hoped that she would be on his side.

When he pulled up outside her house, he quickly realized by the absence of her car that she wasn't at home. Figuring she must be at work, he parked his car carefully and decided to take a slow walk through the town to the Dragonfly Inn. As he walked through Stars Hollow, he took in all the places that Rory had talked about in past – this crazy small town meant so much to her. He'd never really spent any time there when they were originally dating and he'd really only passed through quickly when dropping off or collecting Ava from Lorelai's house, which wasn't really that often at all. As he approached the Inn he took a deep breath. It was now or never he thought as he braced himself to walk up the steps, though he didn't actually have to get as far as the door because just as he was about to walk in, Lorelai walked out.

"Logan! Is everything okay? Rory? Ava?" Lorelai looked at him worried. She was extremely surprised to see him standing on the steps to the inn.

"Don't panic. Everything is fine Lorelai" Logan smiled reassuringly "I just wanted to talk to you if you could maybe spare five minutes?"

"Oh, okay, sure," Lorelai said. She was a bit caught off-guard by Logan's appearance. "Erm, do you want to go inside or…"

"Shall we take a walk?" he asked.

Lorelai nodded. They walked alongside each other in silence, but after a few moments, she couldn't take anymore.

"So Logan, this is pleasant and all but do you want to cut to the chase?" she asked.

They both stopped walking and Logan turned to look at Lorelai. Her took a deep breath. "I am going to ask Rory to marry me" he blurted out. It wasn't exactly how he had intended to share the news with his future mother-in-law but nevertheless there it was.

"You're what?" Lorelai looked at him with open eyes.

"I want to marry Rory" he repeated.

"I heard you…I just…don't really know what to say." Lorelai admitted and it was the truth. She had kind of thought that this was probably going to be on the cards at some point but everything seemed to be moving so quickly.

Logan looked at her in faux-shock "Lorelai Gilmore is speechless?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "I wouldn't go that far. How long have you been thinking about this?" she asked.

"For a while, before I asked her to move in together" he admitted.

"Really? And you're here…why? Asking my permission?" Lorelai asked.

"No, I'm just…well between you and me, I'm a bit nervous Lorelai. I'm not sure whether this is something that she really wants. I'm worried if I do it, she's going to freak out on me and…things have been really good recently. I don't want to upset the apple cart and well you know your daughter better than anyone."

Lorelai pouted slightly. "You're right Logan, I do know my daughter very well"

"And, what do you think?" he asked carefully.

"I think…that you should go for it" she said firmly.

"Yes? Really?" Logan said.

"Logan, Rory loves you. You know that I know that. Despite my many years of trying to help her get over you, nothing has worked. If she doesn't marry you, she'll never marry anyone" Lorelai reasoned.

Logan smiled. "Thanks, Lorelai."

"So, have you planned how you are going to do it?" she asked.

"No" Logan shook his head. "I have no idea, I have the ring…but so far, no clue."

Lorelai cocked her head at him. "Just a friendly word of advice? Forget the expensive grand gestures with Rory. Something private, understated…that would be perfect."

* * *

After saying his goodbyes to Lorelai, Logan walked back towards her house and got in his car. He felt like a big weight had come off his shoulders in just speaking to both his parents and Lorelai. The only other person he really wanted to talk to about this was his sister and he knew that she would be pissed if she found out his plans from anyone else.

"Hey…Logan, where are you? Rory just left here, I thought you might have come with her to pick Ava up" Honor said.

"Sorry Honor, I wanted to but well I had a few things I needed to do while Rory wasn't around," Logan said.

"Ooh, mysterious!" Honor laughed.

"Kind of. I went to see dad…to get grandma's ring" Logan paused for his sister's reaction.

"Oh, you're going to do it? You're going to propose Rory" Honor squealed. "This is too perfect…ugh, hang on, how did they take it?"

"Well, Dad took it very well and he handed over the ring willingly, almost too willingly for me to be entirely comfortable and mom, well, she was on top Shira Huntzberger form" Logan scoffed.

"Yikes. But at least you've got the ring" Honor said happily.

"Yeah, and I'm in Stars Hollow right, I've got the go ahead from her mother…" Logan trailed off.

"…so you've just got to do the deed now! Any ideas yet?"

"Nothing. I am totally uninspired" Logan complained. "I want it to be special."

"Aww, well don't worry, I'm sure you'll think of something amazing, and Rory is SO lucky to be getting that Huntzberger ring let me tell you. I bet mom is spitting feathers" Honor laughed.

"Well, she's got to actually accept it first," Logan said.

"Oh, she will! There are no worries there." Honor smiled. "Anyhow Logan, while I've got you captive, I've got some news of my own to share…"

"Oh yeah?" Logan asked intrigued.

"I'm pregnant!" Honor said quickly.

Logan gasped. "Oh wow, Honor, that's…I mean…do you want me to beat Josh up?"

Honor laughed at her brother.

"Seriously Honor, that's amazing news, I'm really happy for you. Wow, I am going to be an uncle" Logan smiled.

"Oh don't you start, I've already had Rory getting teary on me about being an Aunty. You two are a proper pair of sentimental schmucks sometimes." Honor gave her brother a ticking off but she loved how invested they both were in her happiness.

"Rory knows?" Logan asked. He was slightly amused at thinking that she got emotional about being an aunty to his sister's child. It also really warmed him to know that she did consider his family to be hers, well Honor anyhow.

"Only just. She was over the moon that she was going to be Cool Aunty Rory. I fear she's going to wreak her revenge on me for all that sugar and glitter I have foisted on your daughter though…" Honor joked.

"Oh, that's a certainty" Logan laughed. "Look, I had better go, I've got to get myself back Hartford, but it's really great news Honor."

"Thanks, bro, keep me posted about Rory too, okay?"

* * *

When he got back to their house, there was no immediate sign of his family but after a few moments, he heard their voices coming from the garden. He walked out of the French doors and onto the patio which looked down onto a vast expanse of grassy lawn. Rory was sitting in the garden with Ava who was running around in her favorite fairy wings.

When she spotted him, Ava beamed up "Daddy!" she squealed.

"Hey sweetie" he called. "Are you having fun?"

"I'm a fairy Daddy! A flower fairy, I'm the queen of fairies" Ava announced proudly.

Rory spun around on her chair to look at him "You're back" she said, trying to search his face to see if the same uncertainty she had seen that morning was still there. "Did you get…whatever it was you needed to do sorted?"

"I did" he smiled. He knew he'd been a little edgy this morning and that she had probably picked up on it.

"That's good" Rory was relieved to see that Logan seemed a lot more relaxed than he had done this morning. Everything seemed to be as it should be again.

"I spoke to Honor," he said with a smile.

"Great news huh!" Rory said, realizing that Honor had obviously broken the news about her pregnancy. "I'm going to be an aunty!"

"You pleased about that Ace?" he laughed.

"Oh, I just can't wait! It's been so long since I had tiny baby snuggles. Oh, I hope it's a girl. Or a boy!" she said excitedly.

Logan laughed "I think there's a fifty-fifty chance it is going to be one or the other…."

"True" Rory laughed.

"So this takeout, should I get it ordered for us?" Logan asked.

"Yeah that would be great" she smiled Logan walked back into the house.

Rory leaned back on the garden chair as she watched Ava run around the garden. It suddenly felt like everything had come together, life was good. In fact, as she sat there in the sunshine, she realized that life was pretty perfect. Rory wasn't sure there was anything that could make it better than it already was.


	30. Memory Lane

Later that week Logan had called Rory up at work and instructed her to drop Ava off with Honor for the night as he had a surprise for her. She had badgered him trying to get more information out of him but he wasn't going to budge – he would give nothing away and frustratingly, when she arrived at Honor's house, Honor had sworn blind that she had no idea what he had up his sleeve other than she had been told she was to have Ava for the night. This wasn't entirely true though as Honor was a master at extracting secrets from people and so she knew full well what Logan was planning for the evening. There was no way that she was about to share that with Rory though.

When Rory pulled up to the front of their house in her SUV she was surprised to find it in darkness. She was positive that Logan said he would meet her there after work but there was no sign of him as she opened the front door and she wondered if she'd got his message wrong. She pulled out her cell phone to see if he'd called but there were no missed calls or messages so Rory figured that he was probably just running late at the office for some reason – it wouldn't have been unusual for that to be the case.

She reached over to turn on the lamp on the side table as she walked into the entrance hall and then she froze on the spot. Something was different. She could definitely sense that something was going on. Rory scanned the room and over by the stairs, a bright red silk ribbon caught her eye. She could see a note affixed to it. Puzzled, she put down her bags on the floor and walked over to read what it said.

 _"_ _Ace, Follow the ribbon and take a trip back down memory lane with me. Let's go back to start. PS don't overthink it, just do it! Lx"_

Rory smiled at how well Logan knew her. He knew that she would be trying to work out what was going on but she decided to humor him and do as she was told. She started to follow the length of the ribbon as it trailed around their home, intrigued at what memories Logan would pull up.

She laughed as she looked at first note that was attached to the ribbon. It was a picture of the British actress Judi Dench. She remembered Logan's face on their first proper meeting when she had called him that, he had been slightly offended but it hadn't been entirely her fault. She had been irritated by Logan who she had felt had treated her friend Marty badly. What had started as a heated debate quickly turned flirty with Logan telling her to call him Master and Commander – she still did call him that from time to time, but only in the privacy of their bedroom. She shook her head when she remembered the nerve of him. He was one cocky guy that was for sure.

The next note had a scrap of pale blue material attached to it and Rory recognised it immediately as matching the dress that Logan had picked out for her to wear at the first Life and Death Brigade event she had attended. He really did have an eye for dress sizes, it had fit her perfectly. Rory had been amazed that Logan had actually invited her along to the event and she was impressed when she had discovered that it wasn't just some big drunken brawl but an actual sophisticated get-together. His words when he was trying to encourage her to climb up the scaffold tower with him had stuck in her head always. It was a huge turning point in her life and she knew that she'd be forever grateful that he had pushed her out of her comfort zone, and that he continued to do so.

 _"_ _It'll be fun, it'll be a thrill. Something stupid, something bad for you. Just something different. Isn't this the point of being young? It's your choice, Ace. People can live a hundred years without really living for a minute. You climb up here with me, it's one less minute you haven't lived."_

Rory giggled as she turned over the next piece of paper. It was a photo of Kate and Leo in Titanic on which Logan had written: _"Would you jump again?"_. She knew that this was a reference to them standing at the top of the scaffolding tower together. In that moment when he had turned to her and asked her if she trusted him, she had answered his question in the best way she knew – with a cheesy movie quote. In truth, she was absolutely terrified, they were such a long way up but she wanted to prove to him that she wasn't just some sheltered little girl and for some reason, she DID trust him, even though she still didn't know him very well at that point. If he was willing to jump with her, then in return she had complete faith in him. They were in it together.

The next note was actually a photo of them mid-jump. It was one of Rory's favorite photos ever and it still made her smile to see them holding hands in the air, exhilarated faces. When they had landed safely, her breath had been completely taken away and she'd had to admit to herself that it wasn't just because of the jump. Beyond anything, all she had wanted him to do in that moment was to kiss her. And Logan was absolutely right, it didn't have to be a once in a lifetime experience – and it wasn't. He had continued to take her breath away for the years that followed.

The next piece of paper was the cover art for The Passion of the Christ – a nod back to the infamous 'Male Yale Party' that her grandparents had thrown for her. She had been tricked into attending the party and it had been a complete nightmare for her – that was until Logan and his friends turned up. Even after Dean had broken up with her in front of everyone, Logan had comforted her and his friends had made everything seem better. It was the first time she really got to know them – and had to endure Finn's re-enactment.

It took Rory a moment to get the significance of the next note which was a picture of some frozen yoghurt with the words "Buttface Miscreant" written on them. She had to think back really hard but laughed when she realized exactly what it was about. The embarrassing fro-yo social was of course where she was heading off to with Anna, the Chilton student that she showing around Yale after she had laid into Logan about him and his friends messing up her lecture with a skit. Rory had been surprised that they had stormed into her class at all – she didn't know them very well but it felt like they were trying to get her attention and she wasn't sure why. She had been so mad at Logan that day!

A copy of an article Logan had written for the Yale Daily News was the next thing to be clipped onto the ribbon. Rory knew that it was the one she had volunteered to help him with by lending all her notes. They had met a couple of times in the campus pub to discuss it and she had been desperately waiting, hoping that he would ask her out but he didn't and she had felt so disappointed. She kind of got the impression that he might like her but she knew she probably wasn't his type at all. Still, helping with the article had given them the chance to get to know each other better. Logan had picked that out as a memory as he had been on the verge of asking her to be his date for his father's party but he backed out at the last minute. It was at a time when he was becoming more aware that he really liked this girl and that frightened him in a way nothing ever had.

Moon River was the theme of the next note and Rory was immediately transported back to her grandparents vow renewal. After feeling disappointed that Logan had shown up there with a date, and after speaking to her father she had made the decision to be brave and seize the day. She still wondered if she hadn't actually made the first move with Logan, would anything have ever happened between them? Logan had explained to her how he had thought about asking her out but he knew that with Rory, it wasn't just going to be a date. He was scared of what it might mean but on the other hand, he was quietly impressed that Rory, who was normally so shy and reserved had actually put herself out there. That night had been the first time they had kissed, and sure they were interrupted by her mom, and Luke, and Christopher but it was still the best kiss that she had ever experienced in her life.

There was poker chip attached to the next note – reminding her of the first night she asked him to hang out and inadvertently ending up hanging out with his friends at an all night poker game. It wasn't what she had intended when she had called him up and she felt a little put out about it but what ultimately resulted was a strengthening of their friendship. When Sookie had called her to tell her to come home and see Lorelai, Logan had stepped in to come to her aid by offering his car. His kindness had surprised Rory, they weren't really anything to each other at that point but she could tell that he was concerned for her. It was one of the first times that Logan realized he really wanted to take care of this girl.

A takeout menu for China Palace in New Haven was hanging from the ribbon next. Rory felt her heart skip a little bit as it always did when she thought back to that night. That was the night that their relationship changed – when they made the move from friends to lovers. Logan had been away for a few days but had come straight round to her dorm when he got back to tell her he had missed her and asked her to go out for Chinese food with him and his friends. At the restaurant it had felt like there was a definite shift between them, Logan was being very tactile with her, twiddling her hair throughout and she loved how that felt. Rory had been disappointed when the night had ended prematurely because she had left with Marty but she was pleasantly surprised when Logan turned up at her dorm later to say goodnight – a goodnight that had definitely turned into a whole lot more.

As she neared the end of the ribbon there was one last note, in a cream envelope with "Rory" written on the front in Logan's handwriting. She took a deep breath before she opened the envelope and pulled out the note. She had loved reminiscing about the early days of their relationship but she was also finding it quite overwhelming, especially when she realized just how much of it Logan remembered and how much it must have meant to him at the time, even if he didn't show it while they were pursing their 'no strings' arrangement.

 _"_ _Ace, The day you came to my dorm to tell me that you couldn't do the casual dating thing with me anymore was the day that my life changed forever. At college, I never wanted to get into a relationship, not with anyone, but you Rory Gilmore, you changed that. You changed everything. I had to make a choice – I could let you walk out of my life or I could take a risk and try something new. You'll never in a million years know how glad I am that I chose the second option and became your boyfriend that day because letting go of you would have been one of the most stupidest moves of my life. Sure, perhaps it didn't all work out like we may have hoped – we've certainly had some ups and downs on the way, but all of that has led us to where we are today and there's nowhere I'd rather be than here with you. Lx"_

Rory brushed a tear away as she thought back to the day that she had gone over to Logan's dorm. She was completely hungover after far too much of Miss Patty's Founder's Day Punch and she had spent the best part of the night crying on the bathroom floor with her mom. It had been one of her lowest points. She was ready to give Logan absolutely everything and she couldn't understand why he didn't want her. Going to his dorm that day hadn't been about issuing him with an ultimatum, it was about saving herself from hurt because she knew that she was falling for him in a big way. But when it had come down to it, he hadn't let her go, he had fought to keep her and she knew it had been a big step for him to commit to her. He was right of course, it hadn't all worked out between them. Communication had never been their strong point and had ultimately been the cause of their demise that fateful thanksgiving. Yet here they were, years later, living their lives together with their daughter and it all felt like it was meant to be regardless of the path they took to get there. It was written in the stars.

Rory looked at where the ribbon was leading to next and saw that it was headed straight into the library. She paused and took a deep breath as she tried to keep her emotions in check before opening the door. She had a fair inkling as to what was about to happen and she felt so incredibly nervous, almost like she wanted to throw up.

As she stepped into the library she gasped. It was completely lit by candlelight and all around were photos that represented their lives together since they had first started dating - and even some from the years that they were apart – as their lives had still been intrinsically linked through that time. There were photographs of them together at the many parties and events they had attended together including Rory's 21st birthday party and there was a photo of them taking during her pregnancy, even though they hadn't been together at the time. There was also a rather touching one of them altogether taken straight after the birth of Ava.

It took a moment for her to regain her composure but eventually, she brought her eyes up to meet Logan who was waiting in the middle of the room holding the blue velvet box in his hand.

"Logan…I…" she bit her lip. She wanted to say something but she was struggling to find the right words.

"Ssh," he said with a smile. He was so nervous inside that he was having to try very hard to stop his hands from shaking. He opened up the box so she could see the ring inside.

Rory put her hand over her mouth as she looked at the diamond and sapphire ring in front of her. She'd never seen such a beautiful engagement ring in all her life and she had no doubt that it was worth a fortune.

Logan picked up her hand in his.

"Rory, I feel like everything I have done in my life has led me to you. You are my best friend, the one person I can't ever imagine living without, the absolute love of my life, my soulmate, the mother of our amazing child and now more than anything, I want you to be my wife.

You make me happier than I ever thought it was possible to be, and if you let me, I will spend the rest of my life trying to make sure you feel exactly the same way.

Rory Gilmore, will you marry me?"


	31. Will You Jump

_"_ _Rory Gilmore, will you marry me?"_

Rory let the words sink in for a moment. Even though she had pretty much suspected what was coming as she had read through the notes, she still felt like she was frozen in time as Logan stood in front of her, holding out this amazing ring. It was all so overwhelming. She knew that she loved his man standing in front of her more than anything in the world, apart from their daughter of course, and here he was offering himself to her, wanting to make a lifelong commitment. It was more than she had ever dreamed possible.

Logan's heart was in his mouth as he waited for Rory to respond. He stood and watched her, trying to read her face to see if he could tell what she was thinking. He knew her well enough to know that her mind would be working overtime right now. It felt like minutes had passed since he had posed the question but in reality, it was only seconds that had passed by.

Rory closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and exhaled. She needed a moment to get herself together before she tried to speak. As she slowly opened her eyes, they quickly fell on another one of the photo memories that Logan had placed around the room. This time it was a picture of a smiling Ava sitting on Lorelai's lap holding up a big sign that said: "Say YES mommy" with Lorelai giving the thumbs up and a big cheesy grin.

She couldn't help but smile at the photo, which summed up her daughter and mom perfectly. She looked at Logan who was still waiting patiently for her answer.

"Logan…Yes," she said quietly as her voice wobbled "Of course I'll marry you!"

Logan relaxed and smiled back as he felt the weight fall off his shoulders. He scooped her up in his arms. "Oh my God, I am so relieved. You do not know how nerve-wracking that was" he said as he pretended to mop his brow.

"Did you really think I'd say no?" she questioned with a smile.

"I've got to be honest, I was feeling pretty confident, but then this terrible fear started to set in! I am never doing that again!" he sighed.

"Well I should hope not!" she pouted. "Now, do I get to put that giant rock on my finger or what" she smiled.

"You are SO like your mother. Do you know how desperately she wanted to try this on but I wouldn't let her? She even tried to resort to bribery" Logan smiled.

"Good move Huntzberger. You'd have never seen it again if you'd let my mom near this, she has a penchant for the shinier things in life" Rory joked "Wow, it's pretty incredible Logan" she said as he slipped the ring onto her finger. It was breathtaking.

"I hope you like it…I've been a bit nervous about it. It's a family heirloom, it last belonged to my grandmother. I don't know how you feel about having something that isn't brand new but I mean, if you don't like it we can get a new one but…" he rambled. He was still feeling pretty nervous because he just wanted everything to be perfect for her.

"Logan, I love it" she smiled. "It's perfect"

"You'll love it, even more, when I tell you how pissed my mother is that you have got hold of it" Logan laughed.

Rory looked at him confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well, the thing is, this ring really should have gone to my mother at some point, as per family tradition, but as my grandmother was still very much alive when my parents got married it kind of skipped a generation and she left it in her will to me. My mom has wanted to get her hands on it so many times but my dad has kept it safe all these years."

Rory grimaced a little. "So you had to go to your parents to get the ring?"

Logan nodded. "Mom will be spitting feathers when she sees that on your hand."

"It's almost reason enough to arrange a family dinner just so I can wave it in her face" Rory laughed.

"You're so evil" Logan joked as he hugged her tight.

"Just one of the many reasons you love me" she smiled. She couldn't stop looking at the ring sparkling on her finger. "Dare I ask how much this is even worth?"

Logan shrugged "I'm not entirely sure to be quite honest, but last time it was valued I think it was somewhere in the region of $50k…"

Rory looked at him open-mouthed "Fifty thousand dollars! You have got to be kidding me! I can't go out in public wearing this?"

"Nobody will know how much it's worth Ace" he laughed.

"But I will! Your family life is so different" she said as she shook her head.

"So now we have the ring on the finger, I think we should go officially seal the deal, don't you?" he said.

"Whatever do you mean?" Rory asked innocently.

Logan wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned down to place his lips against her collarbone. His tongue slid up the side of her neck, stopping just below her ear. The sensation of his hot breath made her shiver sending tingles through her as he whispered in her ear.

"I want to take my fiancé upstairs and make love to her wearing nothing but that ring…" he said as he ran his fingers down her back.

Rory twitched at the sensation. "That sounds like a really good idea" she agreed.

They quickly lost their clothes on the way up to the bedroom and when they got there, Logan picked Rory up and carried her towards the bed. As he lowered her to the mattress, his mouth came down on hers. He kissed her softly and she opened her mouth wider, reaching deep into his mouth with her tongue. As his head lowered to her breast and he sucked her nipple gently, Rory arched off the mattress with a cry of pleasure and writhed beneath him as he trailed his mouth over her.

Logan allowed his free hand to travel down her body before he slid his hand between her legs. He was surprised to discover how wet she was already. As he slipped his fingers inside her, she tensed and gasped. Stopping for a moment to feel the pull of air from her lips, he kissed her softly and began to gently caress where his fingers had just been. Rory knew that she was pretty close already, his fingers felt so good on her and she knew was sure that she wouldn't be able to hold out for much longer – she wanted him inside of her and soon. He continued to thrust his fingers in and out and right before she felt herself getting to the edge he withdrew and whispered close to her ear. "Not yet." Rory groaned with frustration.

He smiled at her and kissed her neck, entwining his fingers in her hair. Rory closed her eyes and tipped her head back. "Look at me" Logan whispered and she opened her eyes to meet his. As she did he slid his hands to her knees, gently pulling them wider apart as he positioned himself between her legs, their eyes never leaving each other as he slowly slid himself into her. Rory opened her mouth at the sensation but no sound came out. They fell into a rhythm quickly and easily, so comfortable with each other, and knowing exactly what each other wanted after all these years.

The pace was slow and sensual and as Rory closed her mouth over his lower lip sucking it gently, Logan moved his hips in a way that touched something deep inside of her. He pushed himself up to allow him to slide his hand down between her legs. Moving his fingers gently, he traced slow lazy circles as he continued to slide in and out of her.

With Logan kissing her deeply and continuing to move his finger as he made love to her so slowly and sensually, she could feel herself building up to her orgasm once again and she let out a shaky moan. She felt her body shudder and she knew that she was about to come and as she felt the pace increase, she knew that he was going to finish with her.

It wasn't long before she tumbled over the edge, letting out a loud moan as her body tensed and released. As her body contracted around him, Logan quickly followed with his own release. He fell against her, where he rested for a moment before he slid off and lay down next to her. He pulled the sheet up over them so they wouldn't get cold and he gently kissed her again. They lay together in comfortable silence while Logan gently rubbed her back.

"You know, I really need to go call Honor…she'll be freaking out because she's not heard from me." Logan said.

"Get her on speaker phone," Rory said sitting up excitedly. "And then we'll call my mom."

Logan got out of bed and fetched his cell phone before jumping back into the bed next to Rory. He dialled his sister's number and waited for her to answer.

"Logan, thank god it's you! I've been waiting to hear from you all night. I can't believe you haven't called me before now; I've been going stir crazy here. Well? How did it go?"

He smiled at his sister rambling on. "If I could get a word in edgeways…" Logan laughed and rolled his eyes at Rory.

"Logan! Just tell me, what did she say?" Honor said impatiently.

Rory smiled at Logan "She said yes!" she shouted down the phone.

"Oh my God!" Honor squealed, in a pitch that was so high that Logan was pretty sure if it had been only a notch higher it would only be the neighborhood dogs that would be able to hear it. "Oh, I knew it! Oh you guys, this is just the best news. I am so happy for you."

"Thanks, Honor. We're pretty happy about it!" Logan said. "Anyhow, it was only a quick call to let you know. We'd better go, Rory is desperate to speak to Lorelai"

"Okay, go, go but I want to hear all about it tomorrow!" Honor said sternly.

Logan ended the call and handed the phone across to Rory so she could call her mom. She dialled the number and waited for her to answer. She wasn't sure why but for some reason Rory felt nervous about having the conversation with her mom. It made it feel very real all of a sudden.

"Hello?" a voice at the other end of the line said tentatively.

"Aha, so that's all it takes for you to answer the phone like a normal person? Call from a number you don't recognize? Wait, you don't have Logan's number in your cell?" Rory asked.

"Of course I do but I was not expecting it to be you was it. It came up as Logan and I thought it would be him and I erm…well…" Lorelai knew she was rambling and paused for breath. She knew that Logan had been planning to propose tonight but Rory was very calm.

"I'm guessing you knew…" Rory laughed.

"Knew what?" Lorelai said as she tried to play innocent, just in case.

"That Logan was going to propose to me tonight!" Rory said.

Lorelai relaxed and exhaled. "Ah, he did it? And I'm presuming from the happy sound of your voice that you said yes?"

"Of course I said yes!" Rory giggled.

"Well, I don't know, I thought you might have needed some time to write a pro/con list or something…" Lorelai joked.

"Don't mock my pro/con lists mom"

Lorelai laughed. "Congrats kid, I'm pleased for you, I really am. Are you happy?"

"Very, I'm very happy," Rory said as she looked at Logan and smiled.

"I'm very happy too" Logan whispered as started to kiss Rory's neck.

"Logan" she whispered as she tried to push him off.

"Rory Gilmore, are you doing something dirty while you are on the phone with your mother?" Lorelai asked.

"No!" Rory exclaimed.

"Don't lie to me missy, you are my daughter after all…" she teased.

Rory laughed. "I promise. We are absolutely not doing anything dirty"

"Because you already did right?" Lorelai smirked.

"Yeah," Rory said sheepishly.

"Ha, I knew it! No wonder it took so long for you to call. You were too busy making the beast with two backs with your fiancé…"

"And we'd be doing it again if my fiancé would just get off the phone," Logan said as he trailed his hand up Rory's thigh and she gasped a little.

"Ugh, I heard that" Lorelai groaned.

"Mom, I have to go, I'll speak to you tomorrow," Rory said as she ended the call. "Logan! That was my mother, have you no shame?"

"Absolutely none," he said as he pulled her in close and kissed her deeply once again

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry guys, I nearly did treat you to two-chapter Tuesday but I had a few things to get right. I was honestly blown away by some of your comments yesterday – it was a hard chapter to write and I was not sure if I was doing the proposal justice or not so it was fantastic to hear that you enjoyed it. I toyed with making this chapter a bit more dramatic but I figured you'd all hate me if I made her say no, ha, so I didn't dare!**


	32. Unexpected

The word about their engagement soon travelled around Hartford. Everyone was absolutely thrilled for them, with most people wondering just why it had taken them so long to get to this point. Even Mitchum and Shira had managed to muster up some enthusiasm when Rory and Logan had popped round to fill them in on their big news. It had amused Mitchum somewhat to see his wife quietly seething that Rory had the heirloom ring on her finger – all while trying to maintain her perfect society smile. He knew she dare not mention it in front of Logan.

Out of everyone though, Ava had definitely been the most excited to hear that her parents were going to get married. She had barely stopped talking about what kind of dress she wanted to wear. Rory knew she was going to have a massive battle on her hands if she didn't want a Barbie pink wedding but for now, she was happy to let her daughter's enthusiasm and imagination run wild – she'd fight that battle another day.

Before Rory and Logan knew what was happening or even had time to catch their breath after all the rounds of congratulations, they found themselves on the receiving end of a very large and grand engagement party at the Huntzberger mansion. Mitchum and Shira had insisted that it was the proper thing to do seeing as the heir to the Huntzberger throne was getting married and even though they had arranged it at what was considered short notice, anyone who was anyone was going to be there. A party at the Huntzberger's home was the type of shindig that you cancelled all other plans to be at. Rory had been surprised that Shira had been so keen to leap into action and plan them a party but it soon became apparent it was more about beating Emily to it than about her actual happiness for the couple.

* * *

The night of the engagement party rolled around and Rory was busy getting herself ready for the party in the bathroom. She knew that all eyes were going to be on them, including those belonging to the scrutinizing friends of Shira Huntzberger and so she had wanted to look good, really good. When she had been out shopping with her mom, Rory had picked out a one shouldered fitted satin cocktail dress is a deep blue that perfectly matched not only her eyes but the large glimmering sapphire on her finger that she now wore so proudly. She had just finished affixing her diamond studs into place into her ears and was rummaging around in the cupboard for a hair clip when something fell out on to the floor.

Rory bent down to retrieve the box that had fallen out of the cupboard and picked up the packet of tampons to put them back in the cupboard but before she did she stopped and looked at them. She tried to remember when the last time she had actually needed them was, it had definitely been a while but then she'd been having the birth control shot for the past few years and her periods had been a little sporadic at times. For a brief heart-stopping moment Rory considered the fact that she could be pregnant but then she told herself that was stupid because she knew that the shot was a pretty effective form of contraception. She shook her head to herself and went out of the bathroom and sat on the edge of the bed to roll her stockings on.

"Oh my god" she screamed out loud as she shot off the bed and flew out of the room.

Logan was just coming up the stairs with Ava as Rory ran down pushing past them. He looked at their daughter who looked back up at him as confused as he was.

"Rory! Slow down!" he called after her. "Ava, why don't you go on up to your bedroom and find your new dress. I'll be up to help you with the buttons in a minute okay?" he said as he kissed the top of his daughter's head.

"Is mommy okay?" Ava asked.

"She's fine, she's probably just looking for something…I'll go help her and I'll be right up honey." Logan smiled at his daughter as she headed up the stairs and he went back down the stairs to look for Rory. He found her in the kitchen staring blankly at the calendar on the refrigerator.

"Rory…?" he asked tentatively as he approached her. "Is everything okay?"

She spun around to look at him. "I forgot!" she said as she put her hand over her mouth.

"You forgot….what?" Logan asked. He had no idea what had gotten into her in the past few minutes.

"My shot," she said she answered quietly.

Logan looked at her confused. "Your shot? Shot for what? Oh! That shot" he said, his eyes widened. "Do you think you're…"

"I don't know" She admitted. "No, I'm probably not, I'm probably just getting worked up over nothing."

Logan looked at her. "We haven't been using anything else though…I mean when were you meant to have the shot?"

"About six weeks ago," she said with a grimace. She hated admitting how careless she had been out loud.

"Six weeks?! That's a whole lot of unprotected sex" he said thinking back to just how active they had been in the bedroom department recently.

Rory looked at him and rolled her eyes. "I know!" she said, fully aware that they'd been more a little more amorous than usual since getting engaged. "I guess I've just been distracted what with the house and the engagement and…oh shit, I might really be pregnant mightn't I?" she said with her hand on her hip.

"Well, there's really only one way to find out…" Logan said matter of factly.

Rory rubbed her hand on her forehead. "Well I can't find out tonight can I. We've got to get going, everyone is going to be waiting for us at this damn party and if we're later we'll never hear the end of it," she said as she walked out of the kitchen.

They finished getting Ava ready into her party gear and headed off to Logan's parent's house for the big party. As soon as they arrived at the house they were soon whisked off in separate directions. Rory found herself being commandeered by the women of the DAR who simply had to coo over her fabulous heirloom engagement ring while Shira was forced to fix on a smile and pretended to be over-the-moon that her soon-to-be daughter-in-law had received what she felt should rightfully be hers. Rory couldn't deny that she felt some small amount of perverse pleasure at how uncomfortable it seemed to make Shira, so she took the opportunity to revel in it, gushing over how much she loved the ring and how special it was. Shira had, unusually, heeded Logan's threat and while she still believed that there was someone out there better suited for her son, she felt that she had no option other than to suck up the situation and try to at least pretend she was happy for them.

As soon as she was able to politely extract herself from the DAR ladies, Rory escaped to find her friend Steph, she'd had about all she could take of fawning, vacuous society ladies and needed some real conversation. She had been talking animatedly to Steph for some time when one of the hired servers walked past with a full tray of champagne. Rory grabbed hold of one of the glasses quickly.

"God, I really need this," she said to Steph with a grimace but she had barely got the champagne flute to her lips when Logan suddenly appeared and slid his arm around her waist.

"Ace" he whispered discretely into her ear "Do you really think that you should be drinking that?"

Rory looked at him and sighed "Logan, we don't even know if…" she hissed under her breath. "And it's just one glass. After the evening I've had, I need it." She looked at him, he was pleading with his eyes for her to put it down. "Fine," she said with her hands in the air "Take it!" she said as she handed him the glass.

"Wait, oh my god, are you PG?" Steph gasped loudly.

"Ssh, keep your voice down! And no!" Rory shot back. "I'm not."

"Well, we don't actually know that…" Logan corrected Rory.

"Do NOT say anything to anyone" she warned Steph. "I just realized forgot to get my birth control shot that's all…"

Steph giggled "You two really must have missed out on the safe sex talks at school huh. Accidentally getting knocked up once is a mistake. Twice, well that's just damn careless guys…"

Rory rolled her eyes at her friend as Logan squeezed her to him.

"Come on Ace, let's just forget about it for now. I really need to dance with my fiancé at least once tonight, especially when she is looking so incredibly hot" he smiled.

"Make that your poor champagne-deprived fiancé," she said as he dragged her onto the dance floor.

"You look absolutely beautiful tonight, do you know that?" Logan said sincerely as he put his arms around and they started to move to the music.

Rory smiled "Thanks" she blushed. It didn't matter how many compliments Logan bestowed on her, he still had the power to make her cheeks go pink.

They danced together for a few minutes, her head resting gently on his shoulder. Their guests all looked at them admiringly. They really did look like the perfect couple. After a few moments, Logan spoke to break the silence. He knew Rory's thoughts had drifted away.

"It wouldn't be the worst thing would it?" he asked carefully. The thought of having another baby with Rory was something that caused his stomach to turn over with a combination of nerves mixed with pure excitement but although they had briefly spoken about it in the past, he still couldn't be sure that this would be happy news for her right now.

Rory lifted her head to look at him "No" she smiled as their eyes met, "It wouldn't be bad at all."

Logan smiled back at her and leaned in to kiss her gently on the lips. Rory responded by opening her mouth to grant him access and as she ran her fingers through the hair on the back of his head, he reached down and cheekily grabbed her ass. They pulled away from each other laughing when they heard Finn wolf-whistle.

"Well, that was very improper. I swear your mother just nearly fainted Logan" Rory laughed she said as she started to walk away from him.

"Hey, where are you going?" he called after her.

She spun around on the spot. "To get a drink," she said "Club Soda…" she rolled her eyes at him as she slowly backed away before turning back around and heading over to the bar. She was just about to order herself a drink when she felt someone grab hold of her arm.

"We need to talk…" Honor said as she pulled Rory into a corner of the room.

"Honor! What are you doing?" Rory squealed as she looked at future sister-in-law acting like a mad woman.

Honor looked over her shoulder to make sure nobody was listening. "Are you pregnant?" she whispered.

"Oh jeez," Rory sighed. Honor always seemed to have a sixth sense for this type of thing.

"I saw Logan take that drink out of your hand. So…are you pregnant?" she asked again.

"No!" Rory exclaimed.

"No?" Honor eyed her suspiciously.

"Ugh, okay, Honor, I don't know" Rory admitted. "It only occurred to me tonight that it was a possibility…there was no time to take a test before we came out…"

"Oh, my! This is really exciting Rory! You want to be pregnant right?" Honor said excitedly. "This would be too perfect!"

"Well, if I AM pregnant, let's just say it wasn't exactly planned but…" Rory trailed off. Part of her wished she knew already one-way or another.

"Right." Honor said as she skipped off.

"Honor! Where are you going?" Rory called after her.

"I'll be back!" Honor shouted over her shoulder with a wink.

"What's her problem?" Steph said as she rejoined Rory at the side of the room.

"I have no idea. Pregnancy hormones tend to make you a little loco at times" Rory said with a raised eyebrow.

"Something to look forward to then huh" Steph nudged Rory.

A mere twenty minutes later and Honor was back. She walked up to Rory who was making pleasantries with some of Logan's work friends.

"I'm so sorry, but could I just steal my future sister-in-law away? Thank you" Honor smiled sweetly as she grabbed Rory's hand and walked speedily out of the ballroom.

"Where are we going now! Honor you're acting so crazy tonight." Rory said as Honor dragged her up the stairs and into her old bedroom. Once they were safely inside and the door was locked behind them Honor held out a bag.

"Here you go," she said.

"What's this?" Rory said as she took the bag off her "Oh man" she groaned. Inside the bag was a pregnancy testing kit that Honor had just run out and bought for Rory.

Honor stood with her hands on her hips. "Just do the test, Rory. If it's negative then at least you can go downstairs and start necking the champagne like there's no tomorrow…"

"You are so manipulative Honor, and bossy! You are Huntzberger through and through…" Rory complained.

"But you love me all the same." Honor smiled "Just go in there and get it over with!" she pointed to the bathroom.

Rory knew that there was just no use battling with Honor, she was a charmer, she always got her own way. Just like another blonde Huntzberger she knew. She opened the test kit and, somewhat shakily, followed the instructions before walking back out of the bathroom with the test stick in her hand.

"Well?" Honor asked, "Am I going to be an aunty again?"

"We're going to have to wait another two minutes to find that out," Rory said as she placed the test down on the bed face down in between them.

The two girls looked up at the clock on the wall. The two minutes they had to wait felt like a lifetime.

"I think it should be ready now," Honor said.

"Oh I can't look," Rory said as he put her hands over her eyes.

"Not looking won't make the result any different" Honor reasoned.

"You're right," Rory said as she nervously picked up the test. She flipped it over and finally exhaled the breath that she hadn't even realised she'd been holding as she read the result.

"So?" Honor looked at Rory as she wiped an escaped tear away from her cheek. She really couldn't read her expression and so she had no idea if she was happy or sad.

Rory bit her lip and looked down. "I think I need to speak to Logan, can you get him for me?"


	33. Amazing

_"I think I need to speak to Logan, can you get him for me?"_

"Yeah, sure, I'll get him for you now" Honor said as she stood up. "Are you okay?" she asked Rory before she left the room.

"Yeah" Rory smiled at her weakly, "I'm...fine. I just want to let him know first you know because I think he was really excited underneath the nervousness."

Honor nodded and she headed downstairs to see if she could find Logan in the party. As walked back into the ballroom she scanned the room to find him stood at the bar with Colin, Finn and Robert. She took a deep breath before she walked over to him.

"Logan, erm, could I just have a quick word with you?" she whispered in his ear.

Logan turned to look at his sister. "Could you just excuse me for a moment guys?" he said to his friends.

"What's up Honor?" he asked her as they moved away from the guys.

"It's Rory..." Honor bit her lip nervously.

"What about Rory?" Logan said as he looked around the room for his fiancé. "Where is she?"

"She wants to talk to you," Honor said.

Logan was starting to get a bit worried and somewhat irritated. "Honor, what's with the cryptic messages, where the hell is Rory, what is going on?"

"I think I fucked up Logan" Honor said quietly.

"Why?" he demanded. "Jeez Honor, what have you done."

Honor sighed. "I saw you take that glass of champagne off Rory so I kind of put two and two together and the long and short of it was, well I talked her into taking a pregnancy test and now she's sitting upstairs in my old bedroom and she's crying...and she asked for you" she grimaced.

"Oh, Honor!" Logan said as he ran his hands through his hair before he looked at her. "What did the test say?"

Honor shook her head and shrugged "She didn't say, she just said she wanted to speak to you."

Logan sighed at his sister and walked out of the room. He swiftly made his way up the stairs to Honor's old bedroom and knocked lightly at the door before he opened it to see Rory sitting on the edge of the bed looking down at the floor.

"Rory?" he said tentatively before he walked into the room.

She looked up at him when she heard his voice calling her name. She took one look at his expectant face staring back at her and the tears started to fall again.

"Hey!" he said as he closed the door behind him "This is meant to be a party, no crying allowed," he said as he brushed a tear from her cheek and put his arm tightly around her shoulder.

"It's my party and I'll cry if I want to" she pouted.

He smiled at her "Aw you made a little joke, see things can't be that bad huh."

Rory rested her head on his shoulder and as she did she handed him the pregnancy test. He took it out of her hand and turned it over to see what it said.

"You're pregnant!" he gasped as he pulled away to look at her. If it hadn't been there in front of him, he didn't think he would have believed it.

She nodded and bit her lip.

"So these tears are..." Logan waited for her to finish his sentence. He was so hoping and praying that she wasn't upset.

"...happy tears" she smiled and nodded. "Definitely happy, just a little shocked I guess."

"Oh my god, you had me so worried there Ace," he said as he wrapped his arms around her.

"You don't mind that I am accidentally 'knocked up' again? This is almost becoming a 'bit' of ours, you know" she laughed.

"Are you kidding? This is amazing. Ava's going to be a big sister, she's going to be thrilled. See, it's a good job we bought that big house, we're going to need all that space for all our children." Logan said happily.

Rory eyes him up suspiciously. "Just how many kids do you see us having Huntzberger?" she asked.

"Three or four," he said as he leaned in and kissed the top of her head.

"Oh jeez," she groaned.

* * *

Downstairs, Honor paced the floor nervously as she waited for Logan and Rory to reappear from upstairs. She was afraid that she had messed everything up by being pushy with Rory, but sometimes she just couldn't help herself and it turned out, that pregnancy made her even pushier than normal. Eventually, she saw them walk back into the ballroom and she couldn't stop herself from rushing over to speak to them.

"I'm so sorry Rory" she whispered in her ear as she hugged her "I didn't mean to upset you...I thought you would want to know and now I've ruined your special night. Forgive me" Honor gushed.

Rory pulled away from the hug with her future sister-in-law and they looked at each other. Rory smiled and winked at Honor before pressing a finger to her lips.

Honor clasped her hand over her mouth. "Really?" she whispered and Logan nodded. Her eyes filled up with tears as she squeezed Rory's hand discretely and pressed her own finger to her mouth to signal that their secret was safe with her.

"Miss Gilmore, would you care for another dance?" Logan said as he offered her his arm and led Rory back onto the dance floor. They danced even closed to each other than they had before.

"This has turned out to be a freaking awesome night!" Logan said as he dipped her back and kissed her softly.

"I know. These past few months...I feel like I've been living in a dream world" she said as he pulled her upright again.

"It's no dream Ace" Logan shook his head as he kissed her again and she felt herself melt into him.

On the other side of the room, a slightly worn out Ava sat on the knee of her Aunty Steph happily watching her mommy and daddy move around the dance floor. She loved to watch them dancing together.

"Aunty Steph? Look! Daddy is kissing mommy again" she said "They do that a lot" she rolled her eyes and giggled.

Steph laughed at the little girl whose eye-rolling reminded her so much of Rory. "Well that's what people do when they are in love Ava!" she said as she smoothed down the little girl's hair with her hand.

"They're good together aren't they," a voice said.

Steph looked up to see Rory's old school friend Lane stood next to her.

"I mean, I have had my doubts about him over the years but...there's no denying it is there, you can see how much he loves her." Lane said as she sat down next to Steph and Ava.

"If there's one thing I know, it's that you never need to doubt how Logan feels about Rory" Steph smiled "I've known him for years and let me tell you, nobody else could ever come close. Everything is exactly how it should be."

Lane nodded "She looks happy. It's been a long time since I've seen her this happy. She deserves it."

They watched as Logan kissed Rory on the top of her head and she broke away from him. She headed over to where her friends were sitting. Lane looked up at her and smiled.

"Hey Rory" Lane smiled.

She smiled back at Lane. "Ava, daddy has asked if maybe you'd like to go dance with him" she pointed out to Logan waiting on the dance floor.

"Yeeeeeeees!" the little girl squealed as she slid off Steph's lap and ran over to Logan with some newfound energy.

Rory took a seat at the table next to Lane and Steph while they watched Logan laughing with Ava as he twirled her around. The girls cooed over how adoringly she looked up at her daddy.

"God, seeing Logan with Ava, it could almost make me broody" Steph groaned. "They are just so amazing together. Who ever would have though that Yale's primo playboy would evolve into such a devoted father."

Lane had to agree "She just adores him doesn't she?"

Rory nodded and smiled. "Yeah, she really does. It's been such a good thing for her, us moving in together. Lane, you really need to come over soon and see the house!"

"Oh, you must," Steph said "It's completely out of this world, and it's huge! Rory and Logan are going to have to fill it with lots of babies soon or else we're all moving in with them" she joked.

Rory bit her lip and caught her friend's eye.

"You know something don't you!" Steph said pointing her finger at Rory. "I thought you weren't sure?"

"What, what do you know? What weren't you sure about?" Lane asked as she tried to catch up.

"I'm pregnant," she said to Lane "I literally just found out."

"Oh my god!" Lane squealed and jumped up to hug her friend as Steph did the same.

Logan looked over at the girls hugging each other at the table and he knew that Rory had spilled the beans to her friends. He smiled to himself and winked at her as her eyes met his across the room. It was great to see her so happy.

"Thanks, guys, but in order to grow this baby, I'm kind of going to need some oxygen" she laughed.

"Oh right, yeah," Lane said as she sat back down. "This is really big news though!"

"Yeah it is, and we've not told our parents yet so keep it on the down-low! My mom will go mad if she realizes people knew before she did."

As it neared midnight the party started to draw to a close. Ava had long fallen asleep on two chairs that had been pushed together at the side of the room and Logan scooped her up in his arms to take her up to bed. They were staying the night at Logan's parent's house so they said their goodnights to everyone and headed upstairs.

Regardless of their relationship with her mother, the Huntzbergers doted on Ava so she had her own room all set up at their house, even though she didn't really spend much time there, however she loved it. It was a room fit for a princess complete with a huge light-up canopy over the bed. Together, Logan and Rory carefully undressed their sleeping daughter and put her pyjamas on before popping her into her bed. She stirred a little but didn't wake up properly as she was so exhausted from the party. They turned out the light and headed towards Logan's old bedroom. Once inside he pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the lips before he started to move down her neck.

"What do you think you're doing Huntzberger?" Rory pulled away from his and eyed him suspiciously.

"Kissing my fiancé?" he said innocently.

She waggled her finger at him. "Oh no...I am not having sex with you in your old bedroom."

"Why not? We've done it everywhere else?" he reasoned.

"That is by the by, you're parents are just down the hallway," she said.

"Ace...have you seen the size of this house? My parents are practically in another wing. Plus it's not like they don't know we have sex..." Logan said as he kissed her neck.

"But it's weird! You used to sleep in that bed when you were younger..." she said as she felt her resolve starting to slip away.

"It wouldn't be the first action it's seen" he shrugged and she slapped him playfully. "What?! I'm just saying..."

"I know exactly what you're saying and I don't want to hear about it" she rolled her eyes.

"Come on Ace..." he said as he took her by the hands and led her towards the bed. "Please...?" he pleaded.

Rory sighed as Logan slowly started to pull down the zip on her dress before he let it fall to the floor. He smiled as she stood in front of him in nothing but her black lace panties.

"Take a long hard look Huntzberger, because this..." she gestured at her slim body "...this is going to disappear before your very eyes over the next few months."

"And I can't wait," he said as he dipped his head down to lightly kiss her tummy.

* * *

 **A/N: See, I'm not that mean with my cliffhangers, I couldn't leave you waiting TOO long!**


	34. News Flash

For the most part, Rory and Logan had managed to keep their news to themselves – they really wanted to get through their first doctor's appointment before they made any big announcements so Honor, Lane and Steph had been sworn to absolute secrecy. The two of them had existed in a little bubble of happiness since finding out that Rory was pregnant. Even though it hadn't exactly been on the cards, they'd known that more children were something they both wanted at some point and they truly were over the moon about it. It really was the cherry on top of what was turning out to be an amazing year.

A week later and they found themselves holding hands as Rory lay on the bed in the doctor's room. They were both excited to see their baby for the very first time and also it would give them some indication of just how far along into her pregnancy she was. They didn't have to wait too long, it was only a few moments before the little fuzzy image on the screen became clearer and they turned to each other and smiled.

"There's our baby!" Logan said as he picked up Rory's hand, brought it to his mouth and kissed it gently.

Rory felt her heart skip a beat as she smiled up at Logan. This moment was everything she had ever wanted. They'd been here before of course, and they both vividly remembered seeing Ava for the first time though the circumstances had been so different then. It had been a bittersweet experience because while they had been going through it together they weren't actually a couple. They were in a bad place and neither of them had any hope for the future. Now things were a whole lot different – and while the new baby was another unplanned pregnancy, they couldn't be happier with their life right now and were both feeling so grateful that they were getting to do it all again, this time together. Logan felt like the luckiest man alive to be getting a second chance with Rory and this time he would do anything in his power to make it stick.

"So, you're measuring at around eight weeks – does that sound right to you?" the doctor asked Rory.

"Erm, yeah I guess. I'm not entirely sure I forgot to get my shot so…" Rory said feeling a little bit like a naughty teenager.

"No problem, it happens. More often than you'd think." the doctor smiled "As I said, I'd put you at about eight weeks and everything is looking really good. Your baby is developing well. I'll print you a couple of images that you can take away with you today. Unless you have any problems in the meantime, I'll see you again in about a month. Make an appointment at the front desk on your way out."

Rory got herself tidied up and they collected their scan pictures on the way out of the clinic. As they got back into the car, Rory held the scan in her hands.

"I really can't believe we are having another baby" she smiled as she stared at the little tiny peanut shape on the image. "We should go tell Ava now!"

On their way to their doctor's appointment, they had dropped Ava off with her Aunty Honor while they went to their scan, so they swung back past there to collect her and take her out for a milkshake to tell her the – what they hoped she would see as good - news.

Rory was a little nervous about how Ava might react to being told about the new baby. She was very used to being an only child and the center of her parent's universe. They'd never really discussed siblings before so she was unsure of how Ava might feel about the arrival of a brother or sister in her life.

They sat down in the diner drinking their milkshakes. Rory looked up at Logan and he nodded encouragingly so she decided there was nothing to do other than just go for it.

"Ava, mommy and daddy have something really important to talk to you about" Rory smiled at her daughter.

Ava looked up at her parents. "What is it, mommy?"

"Well, while you were with Aunty Honor today, we went to see the doctor and…" Rory paused and bit her lip. She didn't know why she felt so nervous about telling her daughter their news.

Logan placed his hand on top of Rory's and squeezed it "…and right now, there's a new baby growing in mommy's tummy" he smiled as he explained it in the most basic way that he could.

Ava looked at them with eyes wide "There is?!"

Rory nodded "That means, you're going to have a little sister or brother in a few months time"

"Is it a baby brother or a baby sister? Can I see it now?" Ava asked.

"Well, we won't know that for a while and no, you can't see it, not really because the baby is tucked away safely in my tummy. It has a lot of growing to do, but we do have a little picture that you can look at" Rory said as she put her hand in her bag to retrieve the image and placed it in front of Ava.

Ava scrunched up her face as she tried to make out the image. "I don't see it"

"There," Logan said as he pointed "that's the babies head right there"

"It doesn't look like a baby, it looks like shrimp" Ava pouted.

Logan and Rory both laughed at their daughter. "You're right, it doesn't look much like a baby right now but it will do over the next few months" Rory smiled. "You were shrimp-like once too you know Ava" she winked.

"I was that small?" Ava asked stunned. "How did I even get in there!"

Logan smirked "Do you want to tell her…" he asked Rory with a wink.

"Story for another day Ava" Rory smiled as she shook her head. She was definitely not ready to have that conversation with her four-year-old.

* * *

After they'd told Ava their happy news, they headed straight over to Stars Hollow to break the news to Lorelai that she was going to be a grandmother again. Of course, Ava was by now so pumped about it all that there was absolutely no holding her back and she couldn't help but splurge it out as soon as she saw Lorelai open the door.

"Grandma! I'm going to be a BIG sister!" Ava said as she ran up the steps towards her.

Lorelai looked over to where Rory and Logan stood holding hands.

"Surprise!" Rory said with a shy smile.

"Well, this is news!" Lorelai ushered them into the house. "Man, you guys don't waste any time do you?" she said as they all took a seat in the living room. "When did you found out?"

"At the engagement party but we just had our first doctors appointment today" Rory smiled.

"She's eight weeks already," Logan said proudly.

"Eight weeks? Wow. Okay. I would have thought that you would have wanted to concentrate of the wedding first…" Lorelai looked at them confused.

"In an ideal world we would have, but well, let's just say while we are very happy about the baby, it wasn't exactly planned," Rory said as she wrinkled her nose.

"Ha of course not. I'm not sure we actually know how to plan a pregnancy in our family" Lorelai joked. "Seriously though, I am happy for you both. This is great news. And you young lady…" she said as she pulled Ava on to her lap "…are going to be the most fabulous big sister there is!"

* * *

When it came to telling the Gilmores and the Huntzbergers Rory and Logan decided to approach in the same manner that you would pull a Band-Aid off. Just get on with it and rip it off. The decided that to divide and conquer would be the best course of action and so while Logan went off to tell his parents, Rory went to visit her grandparents.

"Rory! This is a surprise, is everything okay?" Emily said when she saw her granddaughter stood on the doorstep.

"Yes grandma" Rory smiled "Is grandpa here?" she asked as she followed her grandmother into the house.

"He's in his office…" Emily said suspiciously. "It's something the matter?"

"I just want to talk to you both together, can you get him for me?" Rory said.

"Alright. Take a seat" Emily gestured to the couch as she left the room to find Richard.

A few moments later she reappeared with her husband who had been working in his study.

"Rory, how lovely to see you," Richard said in a booming voice as he walked into the room.

"Hi grandpa," Rory said as her grandparents took a seat opposite her. "I just stopped by as, well, I have some news to share with you."

Emily and Richard looked at each other as they waited for Rory to continue.

"The thing is…I am pregnant" Rory said quickly. She wasn't sure how her grandparents were going to react to the news.

"Pregnant?" Richard repeated "Well, that's just wonderful news, isn't it Emily?" he said.

"Yes…" Emily said, "It's lovely news…"

"But…" Rory prompted her grandmother knowing that there was more to come.

"You've just got engaged, I would have rather hoped that there would be a wedding before another baby," Emily said.

Rory nodded "That's the way we were intending to do things but…well…"

Richard coughed. "Either way, a baby is a blessing," he said. "I take it that Logan is pleased with this new development?"

Rory smiled when she thought how happy Logan had been with the news. "He couldn't be happier, grandpa."

* * *

"What do you mean Rory is pregnant?" Shira asked as she looked at her son.

"Do you really need me to spell it out for you?" Logan shook his head at his mother.

"Congratulations Logan," Mitchum said as he took a swig of his scotch.

"Congratulations?!" Shira looked at her husband incredulously. "They've only just got engaged, they're not even married yet."

"Oh, mom" Logan rolled his eyes. "Does that even matter? We've already got Ava, what difference does it make!"

"Logan is right Shira. It's not the 1950's and it's not like they are kids. We should be celebrating the fact that we'll be welcoming another Huntzberger into the fold soon." Mitchum smirked.

"Perhaps. But the thing is, they're not Huntzbergers are they" Shira said curtly.

"What?" Logan said.

"Rory made damn sure of that when she gave Ava the Gilmore name," Shira said pointedly.

"Did you really expect her to give her daughter any other name? We weren't together when Ava was born, hell we were barely speaking at times – why would she want to name her baby after her ex-boyfriend and a family that barely tolerates her" Logan said exasperatedly.

"Now, that's not true Logan" Mitchum argued.

"It is, and you know it" Logan shot back. "Jeez, can you not just be happy for me for once. Just one time, that's all I am asking."

"We are happy for you Logan," Mitchum said. "Aren't we Shira?" he shot his wife a warning look.

Shira rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes. We're happy."

Logan shook his head as he left his parents house. He was pretty glad he hadn't taken Rory there to break the news with him. The relationship between her and his family was fractured enough and with her new influx of hormones, he didn't really fancy his parent's chances. He pulled out his cell phone and typed a message to Rory.

 _"How did it go with your grandparents?"_

 _"It was fine. What about you?"_

 _"Do you really want to know?"_

 _"It went that well hey? See you at home soon?"_

 _"Be there in twenty minutes x"_

* * *

If Rory and Logan thought they had come out of the experience with his parents and her grandparents relatively unscathed, then they were wrong. Sure, outwardly they maintained that it was great news and that they were extremely happy for them but what they did find them suddenly facing was mounting pressure from both Emily and Shira to set a wedding date. Clearly, the two women were forming an alliance and Shira was adamant that a date for their wedding should at least be formally announced.

It really wasn't what either of them wanted to do, considering that they had not even started to think about what kind of wedding they wanted but to appease everyone they decided to set a date for around eight weeks after their baby was due to arrive.

If Rory had known that through the very act of simply setting the date for the wedding, a cataclysmic chain of events would erupt, then she might have held off a bit longer. As soon as the date was scheduled in their respective diaries, Shira and Emily went off in a frenzy of wedding planning and it wasn't long before Rory started to feel a little fed up with it all. She wondered if she'd even get a say in her own wedding.


	35. Pressure

Later that week, Rory was sitting back at her desk at the Hartford Courant when she heard the familiar stern voice of Mitchum Huntzberger making his way through the newsroom. She peeked up over the privacy screen where she could see him coming out of Ed's office before they started to walk towards her. She pulled her head back down and busied herself only looking up when she felt them approach her desk.

"Ah, here she is, my future daughter-in-law. Rory! Logan tells me congratulations are in order…" Mitchum said with a smile.

Rory shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Yeah, erm, thanks".

Mitchum turned to face Ed "Rory here is bolstering the ranks. They'll be another Huntzberger arriving on the scene, in what….about six months?" he asked her.

Rory nodded and smiled "That's right," she said through almost gritted teeth. She hadn't told anyone at work, least of all her editor that she was expecting yet.

"Good, good, something to look forward to right? Well, I had better be going. Rory, don't be a stranger. Come round for dinner sometime, we should catch up" Mitchum said as he walked away.

Rory shook her head. There was a million and one things she would rather do than sit at a dining table with the Huntzbergers. She cleared her throat as Ed was walking away.

"Ed…can I talk to you?"

"Sure, why don't you come into my office," he said as he walked in and closed the door behind them. He took a seat at his desk and gestured for Rory to sit down opposite him.

"I just wanted to say, I'm sorry I hadn't told you that I was pregnant yet…We were just waiting for our next doctor's appointment before we…but…" Rory stammered over her words.

"Don't worry about it, Rory. I've worked with Mitchum for a long time" he nodded understandingly.

"Thanks. I've known him for quite a few years but he takes a lot of getting used to." Rory grimaced.

"Rory, what exactly are your intentions here…I mean do you have career aspirations that you want to meet or…."

"Oh, erm, you mean like long-term plans?" she asked. She was confused by the sudden change in direction of the conversation. "In all honest Ed, I have not thought that far ahead. Obviously, I'm having another baby now so I'll be taking some time out I guess…"

"It's just…" Ed started to say but stopped. "Actually, forget it, I shouldn't be talking to you about this."

"You can trust me, Ed," Rory said.

"I hope so because if I mess this up it will be more than my job is worth." Ed raised an eyebrow at Rory. "Mitchum was here to talk about you"

"Me? What? Why?" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, I just got the whole speech about how you are going to be a Huntzberger in a few months and that you were to be treated as such. Mitchum said he couldn't have someone with the Huntzberger name in such a lowly position in the organization and that I needed to find you a more prominent role…"

"He said that?" Rory said with incredulity, though underneath she wasn't entirely surprised. She was pretty sure it was less about her career aspirations and more about protecting the family name. "Ed, please. You know I don't want to be treated any differently, I like what I am doing here. I'm really sorry you're being dragged into this."

"Well, it's a difficult situation…Mitchum pays my wages if I don't keep him happy then…" Ed grimaced.

"I know," Rory said sympathetically. "I don't even know why he said that he doesn't even like me! Just…leave it with me, I'll deal with it, discretely" she promised.

Rory walked out of Ed's office and sat back at her desk before calling Logan to let him know just how mad she was with his dad for interfering at work. She accepted that she had asked for the job at HPG but all she had really wanted was a foot in the door – she wanted to achieve everything else on her own and not because of what her last name was going to be. Logan assured Rory that he would speak to his father about it. He could hear in Rory's voice how stressed out she was getting about everything – in the past week she had been hassled enough by the constant barrage of wedding plans being thrown at her, and now his father has interfered in her work. It worried him that it was all going to take its toll on her.

* * *

Logan walked into the house and dropped his bag by the door. He peeked his head into the living room where Ava was watching her favorite TV show. She looked up at him as he came into the room.

"Hi, Daddy" she smiled.

Logan smiled at his little girl curled up on the sofa. She looked just like a miniature version of her mother and he completely loved that about her. "Hey princess, where's mommy?"

"She's in the kitchen" she smiled "Talking to grandma on the phone" she whispered conspiringly.

"Oh yeah? Which grandma…" Logan asked carefully, hoping that it was Lorelai she was talking to and not another wedding ambush.

"Grandma Emily," Ava said.

Logan sighed. "Okay. Do you want a cookie?"

Ava nodded and went back to watching her show.

Logan walked into the kitchen just as Rory hung up the phone and vented her frustration out loud. She hadn't heard him come home so she jumped when he came up behind her and put his hands gently on her waist.

"Oh! Logan, I didn't know you were back" she said as she spun around

"Dare I ask what that was all about?" he asked tentatively.

Rory rolled her eyes. "It was Emily. Apparently, I am being taken to buy a wedding dress tomorrow - whether I like it or not."

"When you say 'taken' it sounds like a hostage situation" he smiled a little.

"It feels like it" Rory shook her head.

Logan looked at her. "If you don't want to do it, just say no Ace!"

"Have you actually tried saying no to my grandmother and your mom? I didn't think so" she said as Logan shook his head. "God, I really don't have the patience to deal with all this right now! What with your dad single-handedly trying to make me a social pariah at work and our family trying to coerce me into the Hartford wedding of the century…"

"Hey, relax," he said rubbing her shoulders. "Look, why don't you go take a bath and I'll sort everything out down here."

Rory sighed "I need to get Ava into bed and…" she waved her hands at the mess in the kitchen.

"What am I? Chopped liver? I'll do it. Go, go chill out for a bit" Logan instructed.

"Okay," Rory smiled gratefully at him and went upstairs to the bathroom in their master suite. She ran a warm bath for herself, with lots of bubbles and relaxed into it, letting her mind drift away from all the stresses of the day. The bubble bath did the trick and Rory must have dozed off for a little while because when she opened her eyes the water was tepid. She got out and wrapped herself in a big fluffy towel before walking into the bedroom to find Logan sitting on the couch watching TV. He was wrapped in a towel himself, clearly having just got out of the shower.

"Feel better?" he said as he looked up at her.

"A lot, thanks. I think I fell asleep" she smiled.

"You were in there a long time, but I didn't want to disturb you"

"I never mind being disturbed by you" Rory smiled as she offered him a hand and pulled him up off the couch and into her arms.

Their lips met and so began a slow, lingering kiss, their tongues slowly exploring each other before Rory pulled away, and led Logan over to their king size bed. She let her towel drop as she made her way onto the bed and Logan stopped for a moment, just watching her. As always, she completely took his breath away with her long brown hair and beautiful blue eyes that always seemed to sparkle. Her gorgeous body was just starting to show the smallest hint of the new life that was growing inside.

Logan got on the bed and lay down next Rory before he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers She closed her eyes and as they shared a deep passionate kiss, he could feel her melt into him, parting her lips slightly to allow his tongue access to her mouth. After a few minutes, Logan pulled away and moved to kiss her neck softly. Rory's head fell back and she let out a sigh.

"You're still thinking about all that stuff aren't you?" Logan asked as he looked up at her.

"A little" Rory admitted.

"Why don't you let me help you forget" Logan whispered as he reached his hand around her back and guided her to lay down flat on her front on the bed.

He got up and disappeared into the bathroom, coming back with a bottle of lotion. He poured some on to his hands and began to massage it gently into her upper back and shoulders. Rory couldn't help but let out a sigh as her body reacted to his soothing touch.

"How does that feel?" Logan asked as his strong fingers kneaded and pushed on her shoulders, relieving her of the tension that had been building up there all week.

"Mmm, that feels good," Rory said as she lay her head down on her hands and Logan lightly dragged his fingers up and down her spine. She could feel her body react with goose bumps springing up all over her. She arched her neck towards the bed, exposing the flesh under her hair, and his fingers trailed her spine to the base of her skull, kneading away the tension.

Logan's hands moved slowly and gently over her soft, warm flesh as he moved to her lower back. As he applied more lotion and moved his hands down towards her ass Rory became more aware of where his hands were working and she could feel the moistness forming between her legs. She moaned softly as a signal of what she really wanted him to do but Logan skipped past her most sensitive area and began to massage her thighs. He rubbed each thigh, pressing her flesh and moving down to her calves. He bent each leg at the knee and worked her calve muscles, and then her feet.

"You have magic hands Huntzberger" Rory smiled.

"Oh yeah? Do you want to know what else I can do with them?" he asked suggestively.

Rory giggled as he began to slowly trail kisses up her legs before moving up her back and softly nuzzling into her neck. She could feel the fire starting to burn inside of her as he pressed his naked body against hers. What had started out as a relaxing massage had turned a whole lot more passionate and she wanted more from him, she needed more. Logan lay down beside her and she rolled onto her side to face him pulling him close to kiss him, she could feel his arousal as he brought his hands around cup her ass.

"Logan, I need you…now" she breathed into his mouth.

Logan gently pushed her onto her back and moved on top of her. She parted her legs for him slightly and he moved his hand between her legs and as he leaned down to kiss and tease her nipples making her gasp loudly. Unable to wait much longer, he slowly pushed into her. Rory wrapped her legs around his waist, wanting to be as close as was possible and they started grinding together as their lips met for another deep passionate kiss. Rory began to moan softly into his mouth as he thrust into her in long deep strokes that filled her completely.

Logan looked at Rory. He loved looking into eyes as he moved inside her, seeing just how good he could make her feel. He still felt incredibly lucky to have this beautiful woman sharing his bed. When they made love, it was like nothing else existed. There were so attuned, they each knew exactly what the other needed.

They made out with urgency as they continued to grind into each other. They could both feel it coming and Rory cried out as her orgasm swept over her in crashing waves. The sensation of her tightening and pulsating against him drove Logan wild and he began thrusting harder until his own release hit him. As his body stilled, he kissed her briefly and then lay down next to her, pulling her tight against him.

Rory and Logan lay facing each other, gazing into each other's eyes. They stayed that way for a little while, just cuddling, talking a little and sharing the odd soft kiss before they slowly drifted off to sleep in each other's arms.

* * *

"I really don't know why we need to do this now Grandma, the wedding is such a long time away" Rory groaned. She knew that she should be more excited about picking out a wedding dress but she was really struggling to muster up enthusiasm for the task at hand. The relaxation she had felt at the hands of Logan the night before, had all but disappeared and she could feel the stress building up inside of her again.

"Because, Rory, you are in the second trimester of your pregnancy. Quite soon you'll be putting on your baby weight and you won't be able to try the gowns on. The sooner you get this sorted the better. There is a lot to organize for this wedding." Emily said sternly as they sat in an upscale bridal boutique in Hartford waiting for Shira to arrive.

Rory shot at look at her mom who smiled at her sympathetically. She would have rather been anywhere else in the world than stuck in a bridal boutique with her grandmother and her future mother-in-law who, despite trying to pretend to the contrary, happened to hold her in great contempt.

Shira eventually waltzed in, in her usual style, over forty-five minutes late. "I'm so, sorry ladies I got held up at brunch. The service was just abysmal." she wafted her arm. "Emily, Lorelai, it's lovely to see you. Rory, you look…well" she smiled.

Rory rolled her eyes at Lorelai behind Shira's back. It was a backhanded compliment if she'd ever heard one. She knew she didn't look all that well today. She was tired and feeling a little unwell and that combination meant that she really wasn't in the mood for dealing with any of this and most of all she wasn't in the mood for trying on the huge society-approved wedding dresses that Shira and Emily had been earmarking for her. Nevertheless, Rory decided the best way to get through this hell was by humoring them and trying them on. Lorelai smiled at her daughter encouragingly as the bridal consultant led her into a dressing room out back.

She had to begrudgingly admit that the huge Vera Wang ball gown that she had just been laced into was beautiful but it wasn't really her. Rory turned around, ready to walk out to the staging area where her family were waiting for her but as she took a step towards the door she felt her knees go weak. Rory put a hand to her head as suddenly it felt like blood was whooshing through her ears and then everything went black.


	36. Bump

As soon as Rory hit the deck, the bridal consultant that had been following her out of the room screamed loudly. Outside of the dressing room, the three women waiting heard the commotion and Lorelai looked at Emily and Shira for a moment as they all wondered what on earth was going. It was only a few seconds before they heard the consultant calling for them urgently. Lorelai jumped up off her seat and ran as quickly as she could into the dressing room.

"Oh, my God what happened," Lorelai said as she looked down at Rory lying on the floor surrounded by tulle. "Mom, MOM!" she shouted "call 911, now!" she said as she crouched down next to her daughter.

"What Lorelai? Oh!" Emily said as she walked into the room and looked down at a passed out Rory lying on the floor.

"Mom!" Lorelai shouted.

"Right, right" Emily pulled out her cell phone and quickly dialled 911, telling the handler on the end of the line what the situation was and where they were. It didn't take too long for the ambulance to get there and while Rory had started to regain consciousness while they were waiting, she was quickly whisked her off to the hospital to be thoroughly checked over.

"Does one of you want to come with her in the ambulance?" the paramedic asked as they were getting into the vehicle.

"You go with Rory mom, I had better call Logan and let him know what is going on. I'll follow on in a minute in my car." Lorelai said to Emily.

"Alright," Emily said as she picked up her bag.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Shira asked nervously. She felt a little out of place amidst all the drama.

"Oh…no…I don't think so" Lorelai said "but thanks," she said as she pulled her cell phone out of her bag. She dialled Logan's number but there was no answer. She tried again but it just went to his voicemail service again.

"Dammit Logan," she said in frustration as she snapped her cell phone shut.

"You could maybe try his secretary" Shira suggested quietly "She'll probably know where he is."

"Right…do you have the number?" Lorelai asked.

Shira shook her head. "I'll call Mitchum," she said as she got her own phone out of her bag. She waited impatiently for her husband to answer the call.

"Mitchum, it's me. Do you know where Logan is?" Shira said when Mitchum finally answered the call.

"Yeah, he's in a meeting downstairs with some of our investors. Why?" Mitchum asked, sounding irritated by the interruption from his wife.

"I really need you to go get him now, it's Rory," Shira said.

"Shira" Mitchum sighed "What now? Can this not wait…I'm not going to interrupt his meeting just so you can…" he was stopped in his tracks when Shira interrupted him raising her voice.

"MITCHUM! Rory has been taken to the hospital. I need you to get Logan and tell him that he needs to go to Hartford Hospital now!" Shira yelled.

Lorelai looked at Shira and smiled encouragingly. She was seeing a whole new side to this woman and right now she didn't hate it one little bit.

"What?! Okay, okay, I'm going. He'll be there as soon as possible" Mitchum said to his wife.

Mitchum ended the call and immediately went to fetch Logan out of the conference room and told him what was going on. Logan raced out to his car and drove to the hospital as fast as he could, breaking all speed limits in his rush to get to Rory. When he arrived he quickly found his way to the women's health department where Lorelai and Emily were stood in the waiting area.

"Lorelai, what's going on?" he said breathlessly, having run all the way from where he had abandoned his car near to the entrance to the hospital.

"Oh Logan, you're here, thank God," Lorelai said relieved that the message had got through. She didn't have the highest confidence in Mitchum. "I don't know what the matter is. All I know is that she was trying a gown on and then she passed out. I panicked, I didn't know what to do so I called 911 and they brought her in because she didn't come round immediately. I mean she was conscious when we left and all, seemed okay, but I've not seen her yet…" Lorelai rambled on.

Logan pushed his hand through his hair. "And now? Where is she now?"

"I haven't spoken to the doctor yet, but mom is over there now hassling them for information." Lorelai pointed to where Emily was stood talking to the doctor animatedly.

Logan walked over and greeted Emily with a nod before turning to the doctor. "Where is Rory, can I see her?" he asked.

"You are…?" the doctor asked.

"Her fiancé" Logan said feeling annoyed. He just wanted to see if Rory was okay. "And the father of her child" he added for good measure, hoping that would give him further traction.

"Very well, yes, you may come through. Just the father for now though please" the doctor said to Lorelai and a pouting Emily.

Logan tentatively walked through the door to see Rory propped up in bed with monitors strapped to her. "Hi," he said quietly "Are you okay?"

"Hey! I'm fine" she smiled and rolled her eyes.

"You don't look it," Logan said as he took in her pale appearance and the abundance of machines that she was currently hooked up to.

"It was all a lot of drama over nothing, these are just precautionary apparently," she said. "I do have a headache though, seemingly my head broke my fall" she winced as she touched the back of her gently with her hand.

Logan turned to the doctor who had followed him into the room. "Doctor, do you know what caused this to happen?"

The doctor looked at him and nodded. "We do. We've run a few tests but we believe that Rory simply had a sudden drop in her blood pressure. It's quite common in pregnancy, more so in the second trimester. The expansion of the circulatory system and hormonal changes cause the blood vessels to dilate. It's generally not too much of a concern however as Rory was out for what we would consider an unusual amount of time we'll be keeping a close eye on her as that might have come from the bump on the head" he said.

"Is it something that is likely to happen again then?" Logan asked with concern.

"It's quite possible yes, some people are more prone to episodes than others but we shouldn't be too concerned about it. The only major risk really is injuring yourself during a fainting episode" the doctor said to Rory.

"What can we do to prevent it? Should she stop working?" Logan asked. He looked at Rory – all he wanted to do was protect her and their unborn child.

"Logan…" Rory said as she shook her head. She didn't need him to be given any excuse to wrap her up in cotton wool.

"No, that wouldn't be necessary. There's really not a lot you can do to stop the decrease in blood pressure, however, you can try and lessen the symptoms – things like eat little and often, don't take your baths or showers too hot, drink more water, and avoid getting up too quickly. All of those things will help. Limit stress as much as possible too, that's a big one."

Rory listened to the doctor and nodded. "There are no other risks then? I mean to the baby?"

The doctor smiled "Other than hurting yourself if you fall, everything is fine. Now, Rory, you'll be able to go home today but we do want to keep you here for a few hours more, just to monitor you and do a few blood tests."

"Okay," she smiled as the doctor left the room leaving Rory and Logan alone.

"You really scared me there Ace," Logan said as she sat down on the bed next to her.

"Sorry about that. I was a little scared myself. I was worried the fall might have hurt the baby but the doctor listened in to the heartbeat and everything was fine so I am feeling a lot more relaxed about it now" she said with a sigh.

"That's good," Logan said as he kissed her head. "Can you just not do it again? I think I've aged fifteen years today" he joked as she snuggled into him.

* * *

A few short hours later and Rory was on her way home with a very over-protective Logan by her side. The doctor was as happy as he could be that everything was fine – just telling her to keep an eye on her head injury which may have caused a mild concussion, and he gave her strict instructions to come back if she started feeling sick or dizzy.

"Are you sure you feel okay?" Logan said as he took Rory's arm and gently led her over to the sofa.

"Logan… I am perfectly fine! You heard the doctor it's really nothing to worry about! I was a bit overwhelmed today and I didn't eat breakfast or lunch which probably explains it."

"Rory, you fainted, you were out cold for a good few minutes and you've got a concussion, that's not nothing. You could have really hurt yourself!" he said as he looked at her.

"But I didn't. I'm fine and the baby is fine" she smiled at him as she sat down.

"Why were you feeling overwhelmed today, what's going on?" Logan asked with concern.

"Oh, I don't know, I guess it was this whole dress shopping excursion. I just don't feel ready to do it yet. It feels like too much pressure to make a choice right now. I mean, I'd like to be able to think about it properly especially when I've got to pick something that I can be sure I will be able to squeeze my sorry ass into a few weeks after giving birth…you can imagine the type of dresses they want me to wear too…" she ranted. "But it's fine, it's just our families, I know what to expect."

"It's not fine if it's upsetting you. Do you think that this is all too much?" Logan asked her carefully. He wanted to be careful with his words so as not to unintentionally upset her. He was very aware she was riding a hormonal roller coaster right now.

"What?" Rory looked at him.

"Working at the Courant, looking after Ava, being pregnant, planning a wedding and having to deal with our families…" Logan trailed off. "It's a lot to take on."

"No, I mean okay, it has felt like a bit of a struggle recently but that's because I've been feeling so sick and dizzy recently, but things will settle down now we've reached the second trimester…" Rory reasoned.

Logan took hold of Rory's hand. "Please don't take what I am going to say next in the wrong way…but why don't we postpone the wedding, set a new date once the baby has been born? Maybe that would help? It would certainly take the pressure off."

"Are you saying you don't want to get married?" Rory felt the tears spring to her eyes.

"Did you hear me say anything of the sort Ace?" Logan asked. "Of course I want to get married – I asked you remember! I want it more than anything, but not if it's going to make you unwell. It's too big a price to pay. You, Ava and our new baby are the most important thing in the world to me."

Rory bit her lip to stop herself crying. "I really want us to get married, Logan. I was content to wait but then we set a date and the more I've thought about it the more I really want to do it."

Logan smiled at her. "Well I am really glad to hear that, and we will get married, but not like this." He shook his head. "This isn't what you really want is it?"

She looked at him puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"The big society wedding…getting married in a huge ball gown a few weeks after you've just had a baby…" he said.

Rory took a deep breath. "No not really" she wrinkled her nose "but I don't want to disappoint anyone and I don't want to take that away from you if it's what you want."

It wasn't what Rory wanted at all. In her head what she had pictured for their special day was a super low-key wedding and she really didn't care if that was going to be with a baby bump on display, but she had been railroaded into this big wedding and cajoled into picking a date as soon after their due date as she was comfortable with. Shira and Emily had insisted that it wouldn't be the done thing to walk down the aisle so visibly pregnant and Rory had gone with it just because all she really wanted was a quiet life – and to marry the love of her life.

"Then if this isn't what you want - let's do something else Ace," Logan said firmly.

"Like what?" Rory said with a shrug. "I can't see our families being too pleased if we run off and elope, though right about now it sounds very tempting."

Logan thought for a moment. "Do you trust me?" he asked her.

Rory rolled her eyes at him. "Of course I trust you…"

"Then leave it with me. You should have the wedding that YOU want and I have some ideas of how we can make that happen" he winked.


	37. Our Way

The next day Logan left Rory tucked up in their bed while he went out and did what he needed to do. Rory was insistent that she was feeling absolutely fine but as she had still had a sizeable bump on the back of her head, Logan wanted her to rest up and he wasn't going to take no for an answer. He'd arranged for Steph to pop in and keep her company for a while as well as helping to keep Ava occupied while he was out. He thought about taking Ava with him but didn't want her to have to witness any potential fallout.

It had been such a scary moment for him when Mitchum had come to get him out of his meeting to tell him about Rory. He had no idea what he was going to find waiting for him when he got to the hospital but the thought of losing Rory or their unborn child had absolutely terrified him. The relief to find out it wasn't anything serious was huge but it was a wake-up call - Logan was fully aware that Rory had been put under a whole lot of extra pressure recently and as far as he was concerned, it had to stop.

Logan arrived in Stars Hollow just before lunchtime and headed straight to the Dragonfly Inn to speak to Lorelai. When he walked in she was somewhat surprised to see him there.

"Logan…is everything okay? Rory…." Lorelai asked concerned. She had been planning to call the house to see how she was but didn't want to disturb her if she was resting.

"Don't worry, Rory is absolutely fine" Logan smiled "She's a completely impossible patient, but she's good. I actually just wanted to talk to you for a few minutes if possible?"

"Oh, sure," Lorelai said as she put down the folder she was carrying. "Let's sit over there shall we," she said as she pointed towards the couch. "What can I do for you Logan?"

Logan sat down on the couch opposite Lorelai. "So, I spoke to Rory when we got back last night and I the upshot is that today I am calling off the wedding."

"You are?!" Lorelai looked at Logan a little stunned at this news. Rory had been really excited about the prospect of marrying Logan, she was struggling to comprehend such a turnaround of events. "I…don't understand"

"The doctor said we needed to limit stress. Last night, Rory admitted how overwhelmed she has been feeling with all the wedding plans being made for her. She didn't want all this fuss Lorelai, you know that" Logan said.

Lorelai nodded. "But does she really want to call it off?"

Logan shook his head "No, she doesn't which is why I want to talk to you. We are going to get married still, but we're going to do it our way and to do that I am going to need your help."

"Okay, I am listening," Lorelai said, intrigued.

She listened as Logan explained to her that he knew that all that really mattered to Rory was having her friends and family around them and what he wanted more than anything was to give her the perfect day that she deserved, right there in Stars Hollow.

Lorelai smiled. She knew instinctively that was exactly what Rory would want. Sure, Rory could pull off the high society thing and even enjoy it from time to time but when it came to something this important? She would want something different from the cookie-cutter Hartford society weddings.

"I think that sounds perfect Logan. When are you thinking? Are you planning the same date?"

"No…," he said sheepishly. "We're going to be doing it in four weeks" Logan paused for reaction.

"Four weeks? Are you crazy? We can't do all this in four weeks!" Lorelai said open-mouthed.

"Come on Lorelai, where's your sense of adventure!" he smirked before he turned slightly more serious "I know it sounds soon but I also know that Rory is becoming a little self-conscious of how she will look, I think it might be part of the reason she found the dress shopping experience overwhelming. If we can pull it off in the next four weeks, she still only has a small bump and I'll let you in on a secret you right now, there's also another reason it needs to be in four weeks…"

Lorelai raised an eyebrow "Spill"

"If we can pull it together, it will mean that Lane can be there and the band can play. I've already checked and it fits with their schedule…"

"Oooooh, you're good!" Lorelai said.

"So we can do this right? It's totally doable?" Logan asked with a cheeky smile.

Lorelai shook her head "I must be crazy"

* * *

As soon as Logan left the Dragonfly, he called up his parents and asked them to meet him at the Gilmore's house straightaway. He had already spoken to Richard and Emily and told them he needed to speak with them urgently. Given the situation that had occurred with Rory the day previously, both couples were unusually compliant and when Logan arrived back in Hartford at the Gilmore residence, they were waiting for him in the lounge with their drinks.

"Logan, what is this about?" Mitchum asked as he son walked into the room.

Logan looked at the four sets of eyes that were staring at him expectantly.

"Is everything okay with Rory?" Emily asked.

"Rory is fine…but I wanted to speak to you all together to let you know that we are cancelling the wedding" Logan said quickly and waited for their response.

Emily gasped and looked over at Richard. "You are cancelling the wedding, why on earth would you do such a thing?" she said as she shook her head.

"Emily, this whole big society wedding thing, it's not what Rory wants, it's not what either of us wants" he shrugged.

"Logan…" Shira smiled. "You know that this is bigger than just what you and Rory want. There are protocols that need to be followed, reputations to uphold" she said sweetly. "Emily and I…we've been to a lot of these events, we know what is expected."

"With all due respect, I really don't give a crap about reputations or protocols. What I care about is my family. You saw what happened yesterday with Rory, you were there" Logan said.

"Yes, but…" Shira trailed off.

"No! Enough is enough. There has been way too much pressure heaped on Rory recently and I'm not having it anymore. Now, we ARE still going to get married but we're going to be doing it our way. You don't have to like it but you do have to just suck it up" Logan said firmly.

"Now listen…" Emily started to stand up but Richard stopped her.

"Emily…if this is what they want, then this is how it should be. We all want what is best for Rory don't we?"

"I suppose so" she sighed.

"Thank you. Now I had better get going, I need to get back to Rory".

Logan said his goodbyes and left the house having said what he came to say, leaving his parents and Rory's grandparents to talk amongst themselves.

* * *

When Logan got back to their house, he was surprised to see that Rory was up and about in the kitchen.

"I thought I told you to stay in bed madam," he said as he slid his arms around her waist. "How are you feeling?"

Rory turned around to him "Logan, I am fine" she smiled as she kissed him gently on the lips. She pulled away and handed him a cup of coffee, which he took from her and made his way over to the couch, where he sat down and put the hot cup down on the table.

"It's quiet?" Logan asked as he noticed the absence of the bundle of energy otherwise known as their daughter.

"Steph has taken Ava out of a bit and I was bored upstairs. So tell me, what have you been up to today…" Rory said as she sat on his lap and curled into him, laying her head on his shoulder.

"How do you know I have been up to anything?" he smirked as she played with the ends of her hair.

"You forget how well I know you. You're always up to something Huntzberger!" she teased.

"You got me there" he laughed. "So…I called off the wedding today."

Rory pulled her head up off his shoulder and looked at him stunned "You did?!"

"Uh huh. And it's all been rescheduled…this time in four weeks we'll be Mr and Mrs Huntzberger" he smiled.

"Four weeks!" she shrieked " Four weeks? Are you kidding me?" Rory looked at Logan in shock.

"Nope! It's all being planned as we speak. I didn't see the point in waiting and as we're going low-key it's far easier to arrange on a tight timescale. How does a backyard wedding in Stars Hollow sound? That backyard being the one belonging to the Dragonfly Inn…" he smiled.

"Oh my god, Really?' she squealed as she threw her arms around his neck "I think it sounds perfect! Just one thing…" she said as she pulled back from him a little. "How on earth did you get this past the wedding police?"

Logan shrugged. "I simply told them how it was going to be. This is our wedding Ace, we're going to do it our way!"

"Ahh, I don't think I've ever loved you more than I do right at this moment," Rory said happily.

"Is that right?" he smirked with a raised eyebrow.

"That's so right," she said as she kissed him lightly and started to unbutton his shirt.

"Ace…." he said as he took hold of her hands and cocked his head to look at her.

"Oh come on Logan I am fine!" she sighed.

Logan smiled "but your head…."

"…has a really small bump on it. Sure, I doubt you'll be hammering it into the headboard anytime soon but this couch looks pretty soft and comfy…" she winked.

Logan was about to protest some more but before he could Rory had moved to straddle his lap and he knew it was all over for him, he never could resist her and certainly not when she was the one making all the moves.

Rory grabbed the back of his head and started to kiss him deeply and passionately. Logan immediately responded by grabbing her ass and pulling her tight against him before he slid his hands underneath her shirt to feel the bare skin of her back. They quickly made light work of removing their clothes, tossing them onto the kitchen floor. Logan moved his hand down between her legs to feel how wet she was as he gently sucked and tugged on her nipples eliciting a moan from Rory.

As good as it felt, and it felt really good to be touched by Logan, all Rory really wanted to do was feel him inside of her. She wriggled her hips and moved to position herself so that she could lower herself down onto him. Rory watched his face intently, wanting to see the lust and pleasure in his expression. Logan closed his eyes and they both moaned as he slid into her and filled her completely. He lightly grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her lips to hers – they completely lost themselves in a feverish kiss.

As their tongues roughly explored each other's mouths, Rory began to slowly grind her hips on Logan, which made them both feel a little crazy with need. Logan knew that he couldn't take anymore and he bucked his hips to meet hers as they picked up the pace. Feeling him deep inside her, Rory could sense her orgasm creeping closer and closer and she grabbed the back of the couch behind his head so that she could ride him just that little bit harder, moaning loudly as she finally fell over the precipice. Logan continued to thrust up hard, repeatedly calling out her name until he could hang on no longer and with a loud groan, he let himself go. Rory leaned forward and rested her head on his shoulder while they attempted to catch their breath.

Logan leaned up and kissed her with a smile. "Wow, if I knew that was the response I was going to get, I would have cancelled our wedding sooner" he winked.


	38. Happy Times

With just a few short weeks to go before the wedding, Logan knew that time was very much of the essence. Most of the logistics surrounding the actual ceremony and reception were being taken care of by Lorelai as they were using her Inn – so the next big job on the list was to get Rory a dress. Logan was a little hesitant in approaching the subject of dress shopping with Rory, given that she had found it all very stressful the first time around but he was confident that it would be a better experience now most of the pressure was off - and more importantly there would be no Emily or Shira there trying to tell her what to do.

Luckily Logan had someone on hand to help and he was able to call in a favour with Honor. She had a lot of contacts in the fashion industry and she was absolutely thrilled to be asked to help out. Honor had immediately called up her friend Beth who worked in designer bridal wear in New York and had explained the situation – and the tight timescale. It was very much a case of 'it's not what you know, it's who you know' and with some guidance on styles from Honor, Beth was able to gather up some stunning samples, she was confident there would be something among them that Rory would love.

Honor wanted to make life easy for Rory and so had arranged to have Beth bring the dresses to her house in Hartford. She excitedly set up one of the guest bedrooms as a dressing and staging area. Rory was impressed and touched when she saw the effort Honor had gone to for her. She felt so different about this experience as Logan had taken the helm and steered things away from the big society wedding she was dreading. She now felt more in control of her own destiny, and with just Honor and her mom there, she knew that she'd finally get a say in her own dress.

"Now Rory, I know you weren't keen on the big meringue type ball gowns that Emily and my mother were trying to shoehorn you into so I spoke to Beth and the dresses she has brought with her, well they're a bit different from that and I really think you'll like them. I hope you do anyway" Honor rambled nervously. She really wanted to get this right for Rory.

"I'm sure I will Honor" Rory smiled. "And I really appreciate all of this, everything you're doing"

"I just want it to be perfect Rory. You deserve to have an amazing dress - something a little sexy too" she winked. "Something to make my brother drool."

"Ugh, he does enough of that already" Lorelai pretended to shudder "They already can't keep their hands off each other, we could do without having a wedding night preview right there at the altar," she said in mock disgust.

"Well, you're lucky then mom, because there won't be an altar" Rory teased.

Beth looked at them and smiled. "Shall we get this show on the road? Do you want to come with me Rory?" she said as she led Rory into the guest bedroom.

Rory looked around the room where various styles of wedding dresses were hanging up.

"Do any of these stand out to you?" Beth asked.

"They're all so beautiful!" Rory said as she lightly touched the fabric of each dress. "Okay that one is perhaps a bit too sexy, my grandmother would have a heart attack!" she laughed as she looked at Pnina Tornai dress with a lace bodice gown and a high thigh split.

"Just try it on for kicks" Beth winked.

Rory smiled at her. She took a few minutes to look at the dresses and she picked out three dresses that she loved the look of – the daring Pnina Tornai, a stunning intricately embroidered gown by a designer called Claire Pettibone and a Sottero & Midgely vintage inspired dress.

She tried on the vintage style dress first. It was a gorgeous A-line satin slip with a tulle overlay, with linear patterns of decadent pearls and beading and a gorgeous illusion back. Everyone cooed over the dress when they saw it, it was definitely stunning and Rory really loved it, it was so classic and elegant but while she felt beautiful, she wanted something that took a little bit more of a risk.

The next dress she tried on was the Claire Pettibone gown. It was covered in tiny pearls and delicate floral embroidery in spun gold thread on the sweetheart neckline and scalloped hemline of the dress. It had a sheer back and the silhouette flowed beautifully. They all agreed it was really pretty and a serious contender but before they could make a decision they really needed to see the third dress.

Rory stepped into the Pnina Tornai gown. This was the one she had originally dismissed as being too daring with its low cut v-neck sheer lace bodice, dramatic illusion back and tulle skirt with thigh high slit. She did, however, love how it made her feel – she felt sexy and beautiful and less like the frumpy pregnant mom that she'd been feeling recently. She stepped out to where Honor and Lorelai were sat waiting for her.

"Gosh, I just love that style on you, Rory," Honor said.

"Me too, I like that it's a bit more risqué but….I don't know…something is missing." Rory said as she looked at herself in the mirror.

"It's a bit too plain maybe?" Lorelai said.

"Just hang on a moment," Beth said. "Come with me Rory…" she said as she led Rory back into the room and pulled another gown off the rail. It was a very similar style to the Pnina dress but it had more sparkle and it was a gorgeous soft moondust color.

"What do you think of this?" Beth asked her.

"Wow!" Rory said. She loved the look of it on the hanger. It was nothing like what she would have imagined herself wearing and it was nothing like what her grandparents or future in-laws would have put her in so she loved it immediately for those reasons.

"Lets put it on" Beth smiled.

Rory stood in front of the full-length mirror looking at herself in this new dress. It was a stunning A-line gown with a dramatically low cut v-neck illusion bodice with sparkly beading, and an open back, framed with more sparkles. The dress had a full organza skirt with a high slit and it was a very flattering style. Rory knew that even if her baby bump should suddenly pop out in the next few weeks, it would be quite easily disguised under the layers of organza. Most importantly, she loved how the dress felt on, she felt elegant yet sexy and she knew that Logan would love it.

She walked out nervously. Honor jumped up immediately and clapped her hands together. "Oh that is the one, that is the one!" she said bouncing up and down.

"Yeah?" Rory smiled at her before she turned to Lorelai. "Mom? What do you think?"

Lorelai raised an eyebrow. "I think we're going to need to make sure someone is on hand to give Logan CPR when he sees you in that dress. You look hot!"

"Too hot?" Rory wrinkled her nose.

"You can never be too hot Rory!" Honor smiled and shook her head.

"It's a thumbs up from me" Lorelai nodded.

"I think this is the one" Rory said excitedly.

* * *

After what was definitely a successful morning with Honor and Lorelai, Rory went home to see Logan who was playing with Ava in the living room.

"Nice bonnet," Rory said as she stood by the door watching Logan playing tea parties with their daughter. Clearly, Ava had decided it was dress-up time.

"Hi mommy" her daughter waved.

Logan looked up at Rory and smiled. "Well, you know, I always thought that lavender was my color. How did you get on this morning?"

"I found a dress!" Rory beamed.

"Yeah? That's great!" Logan said as he stood up and walked over to her. "What's it like?"

"Ah now, you'll just have to wait and see," she said as she leaned in and kissed him lightly on the lips "But I think you'll like it"

"Spoilsport, " he complained. "What time do we need to leave for the hospital?"

"We've got about an hour, I'm just going to go get freshened up" Rory smiled.

It was going to be a big day today. Not only had she managed to find a wedding dress that she absolutely loved and knew would knock Logan's socks off, they were also going to be finding out the sex of their baby.

* * *

A little while later and Rory and Logan found themselves looking at their baby wriggling around on the screen. Rory was now coming up to fifteen weeks and so the baby had developed quite a lot since they had last seen it.

"So, did you want to know the sex today?" the doctor asked with a smile "Baby has been very cooperative and I've already been treated to a good look…" she winked.

"Erm…I think we do?" Rory looked at Logan nervously. They'd talked about it and gone round and round and circles on the subject. She was constantly changing her mind.

"It's up to you Ace, we can wait if you want to…" Logan said reassuringly.

"No, I want to know," she said firmly and nodded at the doctor.

"Okay, well I am pleased to tell you that you're having a little boy" she smiled.

Rory clasped her hand to her chest "Really?" she whispered "Oh my god, that's amazing" she said looking at the screen. "That's our son in there" she looked up at Logan with tears in her eyes.

"Is that what you were hoping for?" the doctor asked him.

Logan smiled and shrugged. "I don't think we would have really minded either way, but we have a little girl so it will be nice to have a little boy in the family too," he said as she kissed Rory's head.

They collected their scan pictures on the way out and got back into the car.

"I really can't believe we are having a boy" Rory smiled. "Another Huntzberger man to run wild…just what the world needs" she teased.

Logan laughed at her. "Now we know it's a boy, we can start thinking of names for Baby Huntzberger," he said.

"Yeah…." Rory smiled. She looked out of the window for a moment, something had been on her mind and it seemed the right time to talk about it. "Logan…I was thinking… "

"Always dangerous" he winked at her from the driving seat.

"Ha ha," Rory said sarcastically.

Logan smiled "What were you thinking Ace?"

Rory took a deep breath "Well, I was thinking that we should change Ava's name."

"Aww I'm quite fond of Ava" Logan pretended to pull a face.

Rory rolled her eyes at him. "Boy, you're in a good mood today" she laughed. "So, what do you think? Good idea…bad idea…"

"I think I'd really like that" he smiled.

They spent the rest of the short journey home discussing baby names, Rory immediately vetoing several of Logan's crazy ideas. They pulled up the car outside their house and walked inside to find Ava, who was being looked after by Lorelai. As soon as they opened the door Ava came running towards them excitedly.

"Mommy! Did the doctor tell you if I am getting a baby brother or a baby sister" she said jumping up and down on the spot.

"She did" Rory smiled. "You're going to have a baby brother Ava."

"Really!" Ava's eyes opened wide.

"Oh Rory, that's fantastic, oh I'm really pleased for you," Lorelai said as she hugged her daughter "Congratulations Logan" she smiled.

"Thanks" he beamed.

"But Ava, there was also something else that we decided on the way home and we wanted to talk to you about it…mommy and daddy were wondering how you would feel about changing your name?" Rory said gently.

Ava looked at Rory confused "But I like the name Ava!"

Rory groaned and from behind her Logan dissolved into a fit of laughter. "She really is your daughter Huntzberger," she said as she looked up at him.

Logan stooped down to be at Ava's level. "Honey, what Mommy means is we want to change your last name. So instead of being called Ava Victoria Gilmore, you would be Ava Victoria Huntzberger."

"Like you," Ava said looking at her daddy with her big blue eyes.

"Yeah, just like me, and the new baby and that is what mommy's name will be soon too" he smiled.

"I like that" Ava smiled happily.

"I'm not so sure I do" Lorelai pouted. "Now, I'm not losing just one Gilmore girl from my squad but two!"

"Ah mom, don't worry we'll always be Gilmore girls at heart" Rory laughed.

* * *

A/N: If you want to look it up, the dress is based on Hayley Paige "Kenny". Google it and check out the link for it on The Knot website as I think that has the best pictures.


	39. Party Time

There was just one week to go before the wedding and Rory and Logan found themselves facing that good old wedding tradition - the bachelor and bachelorette parties. However, given that Rory was over four months pregnant, the bachelorette was always going to be pretty tame when it came down to it.

Steph had wanted to take control of the organizing since she was disappointed that she hadn't been at the wedding dress session and she had rented them a beautiful suite in a hotel in New York for the night. She had arranged for a team of private staff to cater to all their culinary needs and even arranged for a beauty therapist to join them in the suite to provide them all with mani-pedis and relaxing facials. The general idea around the day and evening was to give Rory some much needed R&R seeing as she wasn't going to be partaking in any wild drinking games.

That didn't mean that Steph wasn't going to get a little wild. On the contrary, she wasn't going to pass up the opportunity for things to get a little raucous and she wasn't going to miss out on digging up Rory's dirty little secrets.

"This is not fair" Rory complained. "The victim is meant to be so drunk when answering these questions that she doesn't care about the embarrassment" she groaned as Steph outlined the question and answers game she was forcing Rory to take part in. Ahead of the bachelorette, Steph had asked Logan to answer several questions and Rory had to guess his answers correctly or risk facing a forfeit.

Steph smirked at her friend. "Lane, you pick a question out of the bag first," she said jiggling the bag in front of her.

Lane pulled a strip of paper out of the bag. "Rory, Where is the riskiest place you've ever had sex?" she asked.

Rory thought for a moment. "With Logan?" she asked.

Lorelai groaned and put her head in her hands.

"I'm just kidding mom!" Rory laughed. "Erm..so I've got to guess what he said, right?" She grimaced. This could be a difficult one, there were quite a few places that they'd got down and dirty in the past.

Steph nodded.

"Erm, in the library at Yale?" Rory asked sheepishly.

"In front of the books! No, you never!" Lorelai gasped and looked at her daughter who simply shrugged.

"I'm afraid that wasn't the answer that Logan gave me…" Steph smiled.

"Oh God," Rory said as she wondered which story he might have given them. "Where did he say?"

"Two words for you Gilmore….movie theater" she smirked.

Rory felt herself blush as she remembered. "Oh yeah…"

"Rory!" Honor exclaimed. "I expect that from my brother but…"

Steph laughed. "Okay next question – Lorelai why don't you pick…"

Lorelai shook her head as she put her hand into the bag. "This is SO far from being appropriate…. Okay. Who is noisier in bed?"

"Oh, we all know the answer to this one" Paris rolled her eyes. She had once had the pleasure of sharing a dorm with Rory back in the early days of her relationship with Logan.

"That would be me" Rory laughed. She knew that she was the more vocal one of the two.

"Logan agreed with that" Steph laughed. "I'll take one next…Ooh, interesting. What would Logan say your favourite sexual position was?"

"Oh. My. God. Are you seriously going to make me answer this in front of my mother?" Rory asked with her hand on her hip.

Steph nodded. "I am"

"I like to be on top," Rory said quickly as she felt her cheeks flush.

"And what would Logan says his is?" Honor asked as she read from the piece of paper. "Though seriously, I don't need to think about my brother having sex"

Rory sighed and let out a giggle. "He likes me to be on top too."

"Aww yes right on both counts" Steph smiled "Perfectly matched in every way" she sniggered.

"Okay, can we stop with the ritual humiliation section of the evening now?" Rory begged.

"Just one more! Here Juliet…" Steph held the bag out to her friend who pulled out a piece of paper and laughed.

"This is a good one! Okay, Rory, what did Logan say he thought his forte in the bedroom would be?" Juliet asked. "Now we'll get to find out if all those Yale rumors were true" she giggled.

"I can't answer that question," Rory said as she shook her head. "Not with my mom sitting there. No way."

"It's okay sweets, I'll block it all out, I'll just send you the bill from my therapy. Lover boy can afford it. Besides, I'm intrigued now too" Lorelai said.

"Oh, I hate you Steph, I hate you all," Rory said as she shook her head and blushed. "I'm going to guess that what he said was….ugh…Okay, he's really good…" she paused for a moment wondering what terminology she was going to use to make this moment less excruciating "….at…going down" she gestured before hiding her face in her hands as she laughed.

"I knew it!" Juliet squealed.

"Oh dear God. Mommy cannot unhear that" Lorelai exclaimed as she put her hands over here ears.

"You were the one who wanted to know" Rory shrugged and laughed.

* * *

After they had finished laughing and exchanging torrid sex stories, Rory went to her room in the suite to get herself ready to go out for dinner. She wanted to take the quiet moment as an opportunity to check in with Logan and see how things were going at home with Ava.

"Hey Ace, having fun? I'm surprised you've got time to call me…" he said as he answered the call.

"I'm taking a moment to let the burning furnace that is my cheeks cool down. I cannot believe you told those things to Steph!" Rory complained. She was still feeling super embarrassed from answering those questions in front of her mother, not that Lorelai would mind at all, she'd just use that knowledge to tease her mercilessly in the future.

Logan laughed at Rory. "Hey, that is not my fault at all, Steph can be very persuasive when she wants to be. Plus she used blackmail."

"Ha, that sounds so much like Steph. You would not believe the things I had to admit to in front of my mother. I think we're both going to be scarred for life"

"I think it's safe to say she knows you're not a virgin Ace. We do have one and a half children after all..." he laughed.

"Do you want to admit to your mother that our favourite sexual position is me bouncing around on top of you?" Rory asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, when you put it like that…" Logan shuddered at the thought of having a conversation like that with his mother, however, Lorelai was a completely different kettle of fish.

"And really…she probably would have got through life quite well without knowing about that time we had sex watching Mission Impossible III. She'll never look at Tom Cruise in the same way again!" Rory groaned.

"Ah, so what did you go with?" Logan asked.

"The library at Yale," Rory said matter of factly.

"Oh…that was a really good afternoon," Logan said thinking back to that particular afternoon.

"It really was, I can't deny that, but you know that my mom will conveniently forget about these tidbits of information, right until we're in the middle of Thanksgiving dinner or something like that." Rory sighed. "Anyhow I had better go, we're going out for dinner and dancing in a bit I just wanted to say hi and see how you both were."

"We're all good here, you know us, Ava is making sure I behave. Now you go have fun, enjoy your bachelorette - but hey not too much fun. I know what Steph is like" Logan teased.

"I won't. I love you Logan" Rory said down the phone.

"Love you too Ace"

* * *

Rory arrived home at midday the next afternoon, just in time to see Logan off for his own night away.

"So you really don't mind that you're not having a proper bachelor party?" Rory asked. "I don't want you to feel like you missed out on anything…I mean just because I can't wake up lying face down in a pile of my own vomit doesn't mean you shouldn't" she teased.

"As tempting as that sounds…No, Ace, I don't mind at all, besides, I've had more than my fair share of wild weekends in that past. I don't feel like I am missing out on anything at all" he said as he leaned in to her kiss her forehead.

"Okay, well, just you stay safe and please please please don't come back with any broken limbs?" she begged. "You mess up the wedding photos and my grandma will kill you" she warned.

Logan laughed at her as he gave her a kiss goodbye. "I'll be careful" he promised.

He knew that Rory knew him and his friends well – and the type of antics they often got up to - but this time there was going to be no craziness. There was no way on earth that he wanted to risk messing up their wedding after everything it had taken to get them to this point.

When it came to the bachelor party, Logan had managed to convince Finn and Colin to move away from many of the 'traditional activities' one might expect to find at such an event. He'd long since grown out of strippers and he knew that Rory probably wouldn't be best pleased if she had got wind that was what they had got up to. Alas, much to Finn's dismay a night of debauchery was firmly off the cards and instead they settled in for a weekend of what they considered to be 'manly' activities such as shooting, kayaking and hitting up a casino to lose piles of cash. Of course, it was always going to involve a fair amount of booze too.

The boys were staying at Finn's family's penthouse suite in New York and after several hours spent losing a lot of money in the casino, they had piled back to the apartment for a late night – or early morning - poker game and copious amounts of expensive scotch.

After he poured them all a drink Finn stood up. "Gentlemen…I feel that I really ought to mark this occasion…if I may just say a few words?"

Logan groaned "Do you really have to Finn?"

Finn ignored his friend. "Gentlemen, we are gathered here tonight to pay our final respects to our brother, Logan, who is departing for the land of the married. In recognition of this, I propose a toast! Let us toast the good things in life - freedom, irresponsibility, and hot young ladies in bikinis... These are but some of the tasty things that you will be giving up young Logan, but we are sure you will be getting much in return. Mate, when you find out exactly what, be sure to let us know won't you?"

Logan laughed and shook his head.

"I'm just kidding, just kidding," Finn said as he held his hands up in defense. "This has been a really long time coming, good luck to you and especially to the lovely Rory, for I fear she's going to need all the luck she can get," he said as he raised his glass.

"Thanks, mate, that was really heartfelt." Logan rolled his eyes and raised his glass back at his friends with a smirk.

"So, come on, tell us, how does it feel to be a dead man walking Huntz?" Colin turned and asked Logan.

"It feels…bloody amazing" Logan smiled as he knocked back the rest of his scotch.

"Ah, they'll be many women mourning the death of a bachelor tonight. You know, Rory was never forgiven at Yale for catapulting herself over that line…" Finn shook his head.

"There was no line" Logan laughed. "That was just an urban legend!" Logan had heard the story of 'the line' many a time and he had no idea where it had originated from. He hadn't been sure whether to be flattered or insulted.

"Either way, in a week, the jig is up. You'll be Mr Rory Gilmore" Robert said as he refilled Logan's glass.

"That doesn't sound too shabby to me" Logan shrugged.

"I've gotta hand it to you mate, you've picked yourself a good one" Finn nodded "Rory is a beaut. She'll keep you in line and of course, we all know that she's absolute dynamite in the sack" he teased.

"And how exactly would you know that, is there something I don't know?" Logan raised an eyebrow.

"I've witnessed it with my own eyes mate" Finn smirked.

Logan laughed "Ah, well, yeah, I have no complaints in that department. In fact, I have no complaints at all. Cheers!" he said as they clinked their glasses together.


	40. The Time Is Now

The morning of the wedding soon dawned. Rory had stayed over at the Dragonfly Inn with her mom while Logan had stayed at their home, spending his last night as a single man with his friends Colin and Finn. Honor had kindly offered to look after Ava for the night and she had planned a special evening of pampering for the both of them. Ava was so excited about having her first ever manicure with her Aunty Honor.

Rory woke up early that morning. She had resisted checking the time for as long as possible but after lying in the bed alone with her thoughts for what had felt like hours she turned to look at the clock and saw that it was 6.30am. Rory had tried to get back to sleep when she first woke up, but all it resulted in was a lot of tossing and turning. She was a complete bubbling melting pot of emotion – a mixture of excitement, nervousness, and anticipation. All she could really think about was the fact that in just a few short hours she would finally be marrying Logan, something that only a little while ago had seemed completely incomprehensible to her.

She lay in her bed for a little bit longer before deciding what she really needed to get herself going was a good cup of coffee – and today was no time to be drinking decaf, she figured one full-strength coffee wouldn't hurt. Rory threw her feet out of bed and pulled on her robe. She was just sitting on the edge of her bed when she heard a knock. She stood up and pulled open the door, fully expecting to see a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Lorelai standing there but instead there stood Logan with a smile on his face.

"Logan! What on earth are you doing here?" Rory said with surprise when she saw her fiancé stood outside her bedroom door.

"This," he said before he swept her up into his arms and pulled her into a passionate kiss which she couldn't help but respond to.

After a few moments, she pulled away and looked at him. "You do know that it's bad luck, right? To see the bride before the wedding…"

"Aww come on, you know I don't believe in all that superstitious crap" he smiled at her.

She smiled back "Good, me neither," she said before they kissed each other again.

"I just wanted one last kiss with Rory Gilmore before you finally became a Huntzberger" he winked at her.

"Oh! Don't remind me, I might change my mind" she teased. "And technically that was two last kisses…"

"Well, how about a third?" Logan said deciding to try his luck.

They kissed again, only this time with more urgency, their tongues exploring each other's mouths. Rory knew that she was going to have to find the willpower to break away from Logan or else the situation was going to escalate quite quickly.

"Right mister, that's your lot, now get out of here before my mother sees you" she warned.

"I'll see you soon?" he turned back to look at her.

"You betcha," she winked with a smile.

As Logan left the room and she closed the door behind him, it suddenly dawned on Rory that the next time she would see him would be when they were taking their vows. The thought made her heart do a little leap and she just couldn't wait.

* * *

Rory and Logan had decided to keep the wedding as intimate and romantic as possible with a real strong focus on celebrating with their family and friends. They invited around just sixty guests in total, and though it was difficult to narrow the list down, especially with the pressure heaped on them from their families, they had really wanted to keep the wedding to those people who had shared precious moments with them throughout their lives together.

"Lorelai, you've really outdone yourself," Logan said as he looked around outside at the area that had been planned for the wedding. "We'll never be able to thank you enough."

"Oh pfft, it's fine," she said with a smile. "I've really enjoyed it. I never thought I'd actually get a look in with wedding planning once my mother got involved, so this…it's been a dream come true to be able to do this for my baby girl" Lorelai admitted.

Logan was amazed. Lorelai had managed to nail it completely. In a few weeks, she had managed to come up with a décor scheme that blended well with the Inn and also summed up the relaxed, casual aspect of the day that they were planning. At the back of the Inn, Luke had created an aisle with oak stumps and pretty arrangements of mason jars and at the end of the aisle; delicate fabric was swathed over a rustic wooden arch. The flowers that were practically everywhere were totally in keeping with the informal vibe of their whole day – pretty bouquets and posies of simple white flowers and dark green foliage. It was more beautiful than they could have ever imagined.

* * *

Once her friends had arrived at the Inn everything suddenly started to fall into place. She had asked Lane, Honor and Steph to be her bridesmaids and they had picked their own dresses, all keeping to the same dusky shade of pink. Rory was so happy to have those girls around her – three of the people she loved most in the world who had witnessed the ups and downs of Rory and Logan's relationship and supported them both in getting to where they were.

Putting on her wedding dress suddenly made everything seem so much more real. This was it, it was really happening. Today was the beginning of the rest of their lives together. As the girls all went downstairs, with a very excited Ava, Lorelai stayed behind in the room to help Rory with the finishing touches. Rory appreciated the moment that was able to share with her mom and she knew that it would always be an incredibly special memory for both of them.

"So…how do I look?" Rory asked turning to Lorelai.

"You look amazing Rory, really" Lorelai smiled as she wiped away an escaped tear. She had imagined this day so many times and finally, it was here, her little girl was getting married.

"Mom! Are you crying?" Rory laughed.

"No! Well, okay, maybe a little, but one day you'll understand when it's Ava's turn to walk down the aisle" Lorelai wiggled her finger at her daughter.

Rory smiled at the thought. Ava seemed so tiny, it still felt like an absolute lifetime away and she thought of all the fun times they had ahead of them.

"I'm so proud of you kid, I hope Logan knows how lucky he is and I hope that he makes you very happy," Lorelai said with a smile.

* * *

"How are you feeling mate?" Finn asked as they stood at the end of the aisle waiting for Rory to make her appearance.

"I'm feeling good" he nodded. Logan had expected to feel nervous is some way but his overriding feeling that afternoon, was an inner sense of calm. He knew that marrying Rory was one hundred per cent the right thing and he felt overwhelmingly happy that she was going to be his wife.

Meanwhile, as Rory stood with Richard before she made her way down the aisle, it struck her how calm she felt. She had been nervous when she had woken up that morning but now those nerves had gone and everything just felt right. She was bursting with happiness and excitement. She was truly happy, content and peaceful knowing that in a moment she was going to be marrying the love of her life and she was determined to enjoy every single minute. Rory clutched on to the supportive arm of her grandpa. She had deliberated long and hard over who to ask to walk her down the aisle, it not being an easy decision having both Christopher and Luke in her life, but when it came down to it was her grandfather she wanted to share that moment with above everyone else and he had been thrilled to be asked.

As the music started playing, Logan took a deep breath. He had waited and dreamed about this moment for a long time, but now it had arrived, he almost felt frozen to the spot. He was sure that if he turned around he would cry and he didn't want anyone to see that. He felt a nudge in his side.

"Logan mate, you need to see your girl" Finn whispered.

Logan turned around to look at Rory on the arm of the grandfather and their eyes met. She looked breath taking.

"She's gorgeous bro," Colin said as he patted his friend on the back.

The nerves that had been bubbling underneath dissipated in that moment. All he could think about was that his best friend was walking towards him and that she looked so happy. He wondered how on earth he got so lucky that this amazing girl wanted him. Logan always thought that Rory looked beautiful but in that moment he was spellbound, she was absolutely stunning. He never wanted to forget how she looked in that moment, or how it made him feel so he closed his eyes for a second to commit the image to his memory forever.

As Rory made her way down the aisle towards him she felt like she was floating. As soon as she saw Logan she smiled but she had a really hard time keeping it together as he smiled back at her. She gripped tightly onto Richard's arms, the emotion almost getting the better of her. When she finally reached Logan, they turned to look at each other.

"You look…just…wow" Logan said with a smile. "That's some dress Ace!"

"Thanks…I wasn't sure if it was too much…" Rory blushed a little.

"It's perfect. Are you ready to do this?" he said as he took hold of her hand and she nodded.

The ceremony was short and sweet and soon it was time to exchange their vows and weddings rings. They had each spent time writing their own vows, wanting to make sure that they reflected their own thoughts and feelings.

Logan turned to Rory and took both her hands in his.

"Rory, from the moment that I first saw you, I knew that you were the one I wanted to share my life with. Your beauty, your heart and your brilliant mind inspire me every day, to be the best that I can be.

You are my soul mate. You make me a better person by supporting me, respecting me, trusting me, and loving me. I am so grateful to have you in my life. I love you with all my heart and I want nothing more than to share our future together – our triumphs and challenges, our joys and sorrows. Together, I know we can accomplish the life that we both dream of living.

I vow to love you, encourage you, trust you, and respect you. I promise to share your dreams with you and help you achieve your goals. I promise to travel to the edge with you, to seek a life that is thrilling, and to cherish the excitement of the unknown in adventures both near and far.

I will never stand behind you or in front of you but I will always be beside you, for all the days of my life."

Rory smiled at Logan's words, but she had to bite her lip to stop herself from crying. When it was her turn to speak she laughed and told everyone that she needed a moment to compose herself before finally she took a deep breath and started to speak, her voice slightly wobbling.

"Logan, I love you, unconditionally and without hesitation. I love what you are and what you do. I have seen your kindness and your strength. I've seen the best and the worst of you. There isn't another soul on this planet who has ever made me half the person I am when I'm with you. I am forever changed because of who you are and what you mean to me.

From the moment our paths crossed, you have captivated me, challenged me, frustrated me and improved me in ways nobody else has. And I have fallen in love with you time and time again. You are my inspiration, you help me to laugh when I am sad and you provide a safe place for me when I need it the most.

You are the person I want to share every day of my life with. I promise to support and encourage you in everything that you do. I promise to laugh with you and comfort you, to be true to you in good times and in bad, when life seems easy and when it seems hard. When our love is simple, and when it is an effort. I promise to be my best for myself, for us, and for our future together."

Logan smiled at Rory, he almost felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest.

Just as they had finished taking their vows and exchanging their wedding rings, Rory gasped quietly and squeezed Logan's hand. He turned to look at her slightly concerned.

"Are you okay?" he whispered across to her.

"Yeah," she said as she turned her head to look at him "Just the littlest Huntzberger making his presence known…"

"What do you mean?" Logan looked at her.

"I just felt the baby kick for the first time" she smiled happily. Logan smiled back and squeezed her hand.

* * *

After the ceremony was finished it was time to kick back, relax and enjoy the wedding reception.

Dinner was served informally and enjoyed at long wooden banquet tables. The centrepieces on the table were old books with votive candles and simple floral arrangements stacked on top of them. Rory absolutely adored what her mom had planned out for them. Much to Emily's horror there were no named place settings, however, this enabled everyone just to grab a plate and a bite from the buffet table and sit down for a few minutes wherever they wanted, making the event a whole lot more sociable.

Sookie had of course been in charge of catering for the event but she had kept it to a simple menu with lobster, clams, short ribs and steak accompanied by piles of delicious salads, mac'n'cheese, baked potatoes and corn on the cob. It was exactly what Rory would have picked herself but the pièce de résistance and where Sookie had really outdone herself had to be the dessert table. A huge table covered with mini versions of everything from Boston Cream Pie to German Chocolate Cake, peach raspberry pie to pecan pie, donuts, pannacotta and cream filled cannoli. Rory and Lorelai were in dessert heaven!

As they were going for an informal style, they had decided to forego the traditional speeches but there was no way that Finn was going to let that slide and he insisted on having his say. He stood up on one of the tables, drink in hand and tapped loudly on the side of his glass with a knife. Everyone turned to look at him.

"Good evening ladies, gentlemen…and Steph…"

Steph rolled her eyes and groaned. "Haha, very funny Finn"

Finn tipped his glass at her and continued. "Friends. Today is a day full of love and happiness and hope for the future. It's a day ripe with symbolism, from the wedding rings that symbolise the purity and wholeness of their union, to the free bar that symbolises the reason why we're all really here. As anyone who has ever been a best man will know, there is about a five-minute window where you are glowing with pride, which is quickly followed by an eternity of panic and misery. Rory, I am sure that you had a similar experience when Logan asked you to be his wife."

Rory laughed and leaned in to kiss her new husband, whose knee she was currently perched on.

"Before I start the customary character assassination of the groom, I think we all agree that Rory looks absolutely stunning today. What a babe! Logan, I think you've done extremely well for yourself, you've found someone who's beautiful, clever, charming, funny, loving and caring. And Rory, well, you've got…Logan."

Everyone laughed. "Nice, Finn" Logan heckled.

"So I really want to pay tribute to a man who absolutely personifies intelligence, ambition, tact, generosity, and integrity. But it is Logan's wedding so it's only fair that I talk about him as well. Now, I've known our man Logan for a number of years now and of course, there are plenty of things I could tell you about what he got up to in his younger days. However, at the lovely bride's request I've been asked to keep things to a minimum... and only talk about his positive attributes so we'll be done in roughly, what, two minutes?" Finn winked as he looked at his watch. "Now, when Rory first met Logan, there wasn't exactly what you'd call an instant attraction between them; in fact, I think it might have been the opposite. I asked Rory to describe what she initially thought of Logan in five words. What were the words she used I hear you ask? Sadly there are children present and the only one I can repeat is "and"…"

"Hey, that's not true" Rory pouted "I definitely used the word low-life too" she teased.

"All joking aside, I think you'd have to be blind not to see how perfectly suited to each other Rory and Logan are. He pushes her out of her comfort zone and she brings out the best in him in every way. I think we all knew we'd wind up here one day and I couldn't be more made up to see two of my best friends finally seal the deal. We're all really happy that you finally found your way back to each other" Finn said sincerely. "Finally I'd like to thank the beautiful Lorelai, for hosting what so far has been an absolutely amazing wedding. You've done an awesome job. Although I don't know you too well, I've got to say, you're a woman I truly admire. I mean, it can't have been easy watching your only daughter marry someone like Logan" Finn laughed before he held up his glass.

"Everyone raise your glass to the lovely couple. To Logan and Rory – here is to a lifetime of love and happiness and knowing you guys as I do, plenty of hot sex in inappropriate places" he winked.

The rest of the night was spent dancing to a live band on the purpose built dance floor that Luke had created out the back. Strings of fairy lights had been expertly hung around to create a magical atmosphere. There was a cosy lounge area set up with wooden deck chairs and a couple of soft couches for guests to rest their weary feet. Rory thought it was so nice to be outside where the air was cool and the lights were twinkling. It wasn't fancy in any way but it was perfect. As she sat on one of the comfy couches she watched Ava twirling around the dance floor in her pretty dress, as happy as a clam, and asked she rested her hand on her slightly swollen tummy where their baby boy was fidgeting away, she thought about how absolutely perfect the day had been. It had been like a dream come true.

Logan's goal had been simple when he took over the wedding plans – all they wanted was a fun, relaxed day filled with love and laughter. In the end what they had was a like a big garden party, that happened to include a wedding ceremony and it was perfect in every way. Logan just wanted zero stress for Rory and for the whole day to emulate them and the life that they had been building together. All of this had been achieved – and more. It was a day and night to be remembered for always.

Later that evening, as they slow-danced together under the stars, Logan softly whispered into Rory's ear.

"I'd choose you; in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I'd find you and I'd choose you," he said before he leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips.

Rory smiled at the words that Logan had quoted out of a book that he knew she had read and loved. She looked into his eyes as they danced close together. She knew that while she had wrestled with the decision to finally make the jump to be with Logan, and risk her heart in the process, it had been the best decision she had ever made in her life. They had come so far together; they had experienced so much and yet somehow she knew that without a doubt the best was yet to come.

* * *

The end

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A/N: Thanks everyone, an extra long chapter for you and that's a wrap. I hope you've enjoyed this story, I've enjoyed writing this one immensely. Thank you to everyone who was commented and supported this story - it means a lot. I've loved receiving your feedback. I'm working on a new one - make sure to follow my profile so you don't miss it. Will hopefully have the first chapter of the new story up early next week.


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